The Noble Planet Freesia
by SylviaW1991
Summary: Princess Amelia De La Rosa of the Noble Planet Freesia. After being dragged to her home planet by her malicious father so that she can be married, Sonic and the gang have to hatch a plan - along with Amy's twin sister - to get Amy Rose back on Mobius!
1. Prologue

_Okay, I know, I'm starting a new story..._

_I know..._

_I know..._

_I never finish them, but w/e_

_This one's almost done, it just needs to get typed up..._

* * *

_Prologue_

_Just what is that egg-guy planning anyway?_ a blue hedgehog wondered, looking around him. The Little Planet had been encased in metal and chained to Mobius. There could be no one responsible but that weird egg-shaped human scientist who called himself a doctor!

He looked around, feeling slightly nervous. The last time he'd fought against this guy he'd nearly lost. He was only twelve, for crying out loud. But no way would he have let the world fall into the guy's clutches without putting up some kind of defense!

He started running, going from zero miles per hour to four-hundred miles per hour in a minimal of five seconds. It was his gift, and he treasured it.

He heard a soft squeal and skidded to a stop. A pink-quilled hedgehog in a orange frilly skirt, a green polo shirt, blue shoes, and a red headband clutched her hands together, staring at him as if awed.

It was way past strange. "What are you doing here?" he asked. Even if she was weird, the Little Planet wasn't exactly safe for what he figured to be an nine-year-old girl.

She whispered something, but all he caught was "…my…it's…Tarot cards…hedgehog…"

"Uh…Right…Listen, you need to get out of here. If this egg-shaped guy comes around he'll capture you and turn you into some sort of robot."

Her jade eyes went wide. "What about you?"

"Heh. Me? I can handle him." That was said with a lot more confidence then he actually felt, but the girl looked even more amazed.

"Oh!" She giggled nervously. "I'm, um..." There was another giggle. "Amy. Amy Rose. What's your name?"

He jabbed a thumb against his chest. "I'm Sonic the Hedgehog, the fastest thing alive."

Now her eyes began to sparkle. "Wow!"

"Yeah. Pretty cool, I know. So c'mon. I'll help you get down." They started walking, though Sonic would have preferred to blast off in a run. "So how'd you get up here anyway?"

"Oh, um…" She averted her gaze. "I just sort of…came here."

That didn't make a whole lot of sense to the blue hedgehog, but he shrugged. "Okay, but—"

There was suddenly a loud crash and, to Sonic's shock, a metal version of himself snatched Amy into its metallic arms. She yelped and the thing blasted off.

"Hey, get back here, you bucket of bolts!" he shouted, chasing them. "Give Amy Rose back to me!"

* * *

All right, the Prologue I based loosely on SonicCD

lol

Love that game!

So anyway...

Yeah...

The rest of the story is nothing like this...

just FYI

X3


	2. Revelation

_Just so you know…_

_I've got ages here_

_lol_

_Sonic – 22_

_Amy – 19_

_Shadow - 22_

_Alley – 19_

_Knuckles – 23_

_Rouge – 24_

_Tails – 16_

* * *

_**Chapter 1**_

_**Revelation**_

_**10 Years Later…**_

_(Sonic's POV)_

Carefully, I set her on her feet. Once again the pink nightmare had gotten herself captured by Eggman and I was the one who'd had to rescue her. Add that to her usual declaration of love and determination to marry me and Amy Rose was way past annoying.

But something was wrong with her today and even I could tell. Lucky for me, though, we were alone so I wouldn't get a knowing look or a smirk from any of my other friends for being nice to her. I mean, so what if I were nice to Amy? She was my friend no matter how…_strange_ she was.

"Amy, what's the matter?"

Her pretty jade eyes – Wait, pretty? No! No, I meant plain and simple. Yeah "Amy Rose" and "pretty" didn't go together unless you add "is not" between them. Yeah…

So anyway, her _plain and simple_ jade – er, green, plain and simple green. Why be poetic and stuff about Amy, after all? C'mon!

Okay, so Amy's eyes filled with tears. There. That was easy. Anyway, I didn't understand why she was crying, so I brought a hand to her cheek (Don't get any funny ideas!) when one tear spilled over. "C'mon, Ames, tell me what's wrong."

"You wouldn't believe me," she whispered. "And even if you did you won't be able to help me."

That's what I get for trying to be nice. Girls, man. They were – are – one confusing group to deal with. And what did mean "couldn't"? I, Sonic the Hedgehog, can do anything.

I brought my other hand up to her cheek, massaging gently. (I said no funny ideas!) "You don't know that for sure," I murmured.

"Yes, I do, Sonic! And with Alley here –"

A black hedgehog ran up, and I dropped my hands, taking a quick step back. I didn't want anyone, especially this guy, catch me being…tender to Amy. Then I noticed that Shadow had a light pink hedgehog in his arms.

Rather than wait for Shadow to put her down, she swung her feet over and jumped in a pretty impressive move. Her pelt was several shades lighter than Amy's and her eyes were a deep, clear blue.

She clasped hands with a weeping Amy and shocked me with her next words. "Sister, have you married yet? Father has discovered you have been hiding all these years and has ordered your immediate return. He wishes to hand the crown down to you. Oh, if that foolish human had not mistaken you for me this information would have been passed to you much sooner with much more tact!"

Sister? Father? Hiding? Crown? What? My mind was reeling. What the heck was going on?

"You have an escape?" the new hedgehog inquired. Amy nodded, sniffling softly. "For that I'm glad. You must go now; too much time has already been wasted. My dear sister, I shall be glad to dole out explanations to all those you have been blessed enough to cal 'friend'."

Explanations? Now that was something I could get into!

Amy twirled to face Shadow. "I wish you the absolute best, Shadow." He nodded, appearing very confused. Good! That meant I wasn't the only one!

By the time that all got through my head, Amy was standing directly in front of me. "Don't think I was using you, all right? At first, I suppose I was, but after I got to know you…"

She trailed off and before I could react (I know! She moved _that_ fast!) she was kissing me. I swear the only reason I responded was because I was shocked and confused by the answer.

And the only reason I wanted to kiss her again after she leaned back was because…I…um…well…

So, anyway, moving on.

After the brain-melting – er…the plain and simple kiss was over, Amy whispered, "I truly do love you, Sonic the Hedgehog." Then she took off as fast as I've _ever_ seen her run.

I rounded on the pink hedgehog, ignoring Shadow's lifted brow look. So what if he was surprised by Amy's actions? No more than I was, right? Less than me, even!

"What's going on?" I demanded of her.

"I will wait for a time before sharing my information. As fast as you are, Blue Blur, you would surely get to my sister before she can escape. It would prevent her from making a quick getaway, and that is something that must be prevented at all costs."

As if I cared about that when I didn't even get what she'd just said! If Amy was in some sort of trouble – and it sounded like she was – I wanted to know. The sound of a familiar engine filled my ears and I turned to see the blue Tornado 2 land nearby. A red echidna and white bat were hurling insults at one another on either wing and an orange fox and a tan…ish…rabbit sat in the cockpit.

The fox shut off the engine and the rabbit, Cream, flapped her longer-than-average ears to fly over to us. Her usual Chao companion had recently reverted back to her egg-form and wouldn't' hatch again for several months. "Where's Amy?" she asked upon landing. She was obviously worried and, heck, I'll admit, I was starting to feel that way myself.

Cream turned to the light pink hedgehog. "And who would you be?"

"Princess Allison De La Rosa of the noble planet Freesia, daughter of the great King Shift and the late Queen Ivy, etcetera, etcetera."

Princess?! But hadn't she called Amy her sister?! There was no way Amy was any sort of _princess_!

"What the heck's a princess doing here?" the red echidna muttered, coming up to stand on my left. I just shrugged, as confused as Knuckles was.

The bat spoke up next, shoving her elbow into Knuckles's ribs. (I bet it was on purpose.) "Why are you here, Your Majesty?"

"Please, just call me Alley, if you would. And to answer your question, I am here only to warn my sister to leave immediately."

"Princess Amelia De La Rosa." I glanced over my shoulder to see the fox walking up to us. Heh. Leave it to Tails to know the lineage of some foreign royal family.

Cream blinked. "That…That couldn't be Amy!"

Slowly, the pink hedgehog – er, Alley nodded. "Actually, it could be and is."

No way! I couldn't believe my ears! Amy! Amy Rose, a princess?! Now this went so past strange I doubted any thesaurus has a synonym for it.

"But I've never heard any mention of Princess Amelia running away," Tails pointed out. "Only that she was sent to another planet to get a special education."

"'Escaped' would be a better term, and Father wished to keep it quiet. That other story is merely a cover-up."

Escaped, huh? I recalled the fear in Amy's eyes before she'd left. Just how bad was the "noble planet Freesia"?

"Why would Amy have any reason to leave her home planet?" Shadow queried. He still looked confused, but now everyone else was too. To go from fighting Eggman to this just didn't seem normal. …Not that there was too much _normalcy_ in my life, but this just crossed the line!

"Because for the daughters of the current king, particularly the eldest, Freesia is nothing short of Hell. Even though a mere two hours separates us, dear Amy is the eldest. And the day she came of age she was to wed a man of more evil and less compassion than even our father. That day, of course, has long since passed."

"Amy can't get _married_!" someone said. When I received knowing smirks and glances I realized I'd been the one who had. Ah, man…

But Alley seemed to not notice. "Not to him, no. If I could do anything more to keep that from happening, I surely would." Alley let out a quiet sigh. "Had she married on Mobius, all would be well."

I was starting to feel really edgy. Amy had asked me not to think I'd been using her; I was starting to figure out what she'd been talking about. "Why is that?" Cream inquired.

"To marry on Freesia, the king must be present to approve, or that union is not legally binding. Yet a marriage that occurs anywhere else must be viewed as legal on Freesia, so the king is able to do nothing about it."

Without warning, she rounded on me. "Had you married her, as you are obviously the one she chose, you would have already learned all of this! Were you not so foolish my sister would be safe from a lifetime of abuse!"

Now the looks were annoyed and pretty pissed off. Great. This just kept getting better and better…

* * *

Don't expect updates this fast...

lol

The only reason I've got the Prologue and ch 1 up in the first day is cuz I already had most of ch 1 typed up...

lol

But still, reviews are appreciated!


	3. Captured

_Just so you know…_

_I've got ages here_

_lol_

_Sonic – 22_

_Amy – 19_

_Shadow - 22_

_Alley – 19_

_Knuckles – 23_

_Rouge – 24_

_Tails – 16_

_Cream - 13

* * *

_

_Chapter 2_

_Captured_

_(Amy's POV)_

I had to hurry. Getting seized by my father's men was not an option.

Oh, I hadn't thought of this in years! I had hoped I was safe after such a long time. After I had turned eighteen I had held me breath for days, just waiting to get captured by Freesians. It had been stupid of me to relax! To trust that my friends would be able to protect me. I knew that even they had no hope of victoriously battling my father and his men.

I darted into the little house I just adored and was about to open the trap door that led to a hidden basement underneath my kitchen when strong hands took a hold of my arms, lifting me from the ground.

"Put me down!" I shouted, kicking out. "Let me go!"

"We can not, Princess Amelia," one polar bear said. Not helpful!

"We have been ordered by the great King Shift to return you to Freesia," the other informed me. As if I couldn't figure that out on my own! "You will be wed within the month."

"No!" I screamed, kicking and wriggling, desperate to be freed. I didn't want to get married to who my father chose for me! I wished Sonic would come and save me, but I knew Alley would keep them distracted too long.

Abruptly, I stopped struggling. "Kindly put me down," I said calmly. "I shall walk on my own."

The bears looked at one another and released my arms. I was forced to walk ahead of them, but the moment we stepped from my house, I whipped out the Piko-Piko Hammer and crashed it into them both.

It didn't knock them out, but it stunned them. I took that moment to run off as fast as I could. The bears soon followed and even for their size they were fast. I quickly found myself barreling through my group of friends, wishing I could stop and say, at the very least, goodbye. I cared about them all so much.

I risked glancing back to see that Alley had stopped my chasers. Blowing out a relieved breath, I doubled back, intending to dart through the forest to get to my house. However, cold metallic arms wound around my waist, bringing me to the ground.

Behind me, Eggman began to laugh. "So you're a princess?" I gasped. How had he already found out? "I received a message from your father, "Eggman continued. "He very much wishes his eldest daughter would return home!" He began to laugh again, and my eyes squeezed shut. Of course my father would've been the one to have informed him!

"Sonic!" I heard Alley shout. "If he is truly working for my father, you mustn't attack! You shall be arrested, even though we are not on Freesia."

_Oh, Sonic…I'm so sorry…_

But, no. My hands fisted. This was _no_ time for self-pity! I still had a chance of escaping!

Quickly, I had my hammer grasped in my hands and whacked it against the metal arms. They recoiled like surprised snakes and before they could strike again, I took off.

_(Sonic's POV)_

"So we just watch?!" I demanded of Alley. "We _have_ to help her!" On either side of her, the polar bears tensed, but it didn't bother me at all. If I could take down everything Eggman had thrown at me the past decade, I could definitely take down a couple of muscle-bound, moronic bears.

No matter how big they were…

Alley shook her head. "You certainly aren't required to watch this. Leaving is, of course, an option." My eyes narrowed and my fists clenched. I was _not_ about to leave one of my friends when they were in trouble!

"No way." This statement was met with nods and agreement from the rest of the group, which relieved me. It meant that they were no longer pissed!

_(Alley's POV)_

I didn't understand this. Why did none of them wish to leave? Why did each of them seem so eager to assist my dear sister? I knew Amy had been on this planet for an entire decade, but such strong bonds surely couldn't have been forged in that time.

I turned towards the guards. This would lessen Amy's chances of escape, I knew, but it would give me an opportunity to question her friends. "Go. Now."

They each bowed a massive head. "Yes, Your Highness."

When the bears were gone, I turned back. "You have known my sister for ten years, yet she has lied to you this entire time. Why will you not just leave?"

"No one can fake a personality for that long," the young rabbit reasoned. "And why should her not telling us her past be cause to hate her? She just wanted a better life!"

I couldn't quite comprehend the mature attitude of this girl. Most of the females in the palace were foolish twits. They never would've been able to understand the severity of this situation.

"Do you all feel this way?" There were nods and verbal affirmations. "Then perhaps there is still a way to protect my sister."

I turned towards the fox. Despite his youth, he seemed to be the most intelligent and knowledgeable of the group. "Do you have transportation that can take you all to Freesia?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Amy had been captured and a cloth was covering her mouth and nose. Chloroform or something similar must've been added to it, as her struggles soon ceased, the Piko-Piko Hammer slipping to the ground.

The two-tail nodded. "Yes, I do." Good. This was very good.

"Princess Allison, it is past time to leave. The ship is nearby."

I didn't tilt my head up to look at the guard. Relieved and hopeful tears had begun to fill my eyes and allowing him to see would've been a mistake. "I will accompany those who currently surround me. You shall consider them as…wedding guests, and they shall be treated as such." It was an effort to keep my voice even. "I require no escort."

"Your Highness, the king—"

"Should have more faith in the daughter who remained faithful to him." My eyes painfully dry, I peered up at him. "I require no escort."

After a moment, he nodded. "Yes, Your Highness. As you wish."

* * *

Oh! 

Boo-yah!

Next chapter is UP!

w00t!

:3

I know you're uber impressed!

lol

So, no, this whole story will not be in Sonic's POV.

It'll bounce around pretty randomly, but yeah…

I know these characters so well, the transition will be smooooooth

lol

:3

So keep reading, dear fans!

And kindly review!


	4. Rules and Regulations

I have nothing to say...

_

* * *

_

_Chapter 3_

_Rules and Regulation_

_(Sonic's POV)_

I hated this…

Watching Amy get captured had really bugged me because I hadn't been able to do anything! Just like she'd said earlier, I hadn't been able to help her. Dang it!

And now we were going to some planet I'd never even freakin' heard of!

"We're about to clear the atmosphere!" Tails called out.

I glanced to my left. "Which means?"

"We can stand up and move around or whatever in a minute or so."

"Okay." I stared out the windshield – or whatever it's called in a spaceship – at the craft I knew Amy was being held in. This sucked worse than…worse than a broken vacuum!

All right, that simile was stupid, but at least it made sense!

"We've cleared," Tails announced.

Behind me, Shadow unclipped his seatbelt and turned to Alley, who was on his left. "What should we expect from your father?"

Now _that_ was a good question. Kudos, Shad, kudos. I twisted in my seat to look at Alley. She linked her fingers and stared down at them . "He will…He holds no respect for any of you because he sees that you protect your planet from Dr. Eggman, one who is trying to become a type of king. Should you convince my father that you are fighting to earn control yourselves, you will have more privileges and will, perhaps, be able to freely communicate with myself and Amy. Otherwise, your time on Freesia will be quite horrid."

"Is the king going to hurt Amy?" Coming from the back, Cream's voice was softer and breathier than normal, but I could still clearly hear it. _Would_ he hurt Amy?

"He will strike her." The way Alley said that, so simple and final, had guilt churning in my system. The slanted, furious look from Shadow didn't help the situation. "He doesn't often hit the face as he wants no one to know that he is abusive, but upon seeing Amy I'm certain he will be unable to control himself." She took a deep breath. "You must all be prepared to show no signs of anger or pity or any similar emotion."

_(Shadow's POV)_

My ears twitched. Surely I wasn't understanding this female. "He's hit you before?"

With careful precision, she rolled up her sleeve. From the front, Sonic and Tails gasped. In the farthest seat back, I heard Cream whisper, "Oh, my." Diagonal from me, Rouge covered her mouth in surprise. Behind me, Knuckles hissed out a breath. I took a slow, even one. Burn marks, hand-shaped bruises, blisters – they trailed up and down her arm. The creature Allison was forced to call "father" did much more than hit.

She rolled her sleeve back down. "I am very grateful that Amy has not been marked as I have, and only hope that you all free her before she can be."

"What about you?" The words were out before I could stop them. I ignored the surprised look they earned from Rouge. "You can't be used to this treatment."

"No, but I'll be freed the day Amy marries."

I sent Sonic a look, and his ears drooped. At least the fool was smart enough to know that this was all his fault. Had he not been so damn hard-headed and agreed to marry Amy Rose in the first place, this all could have been avoided.

"Why hasn't Amy simple denounced her throne?" Rouge inquired.

Alley closed her eyes, fisting her hands on the skirt of her dress. "I'm the next in line for the throne. Had she done so, I would be the one forced to marry Quarry – her betrothed – and possibly even be dead were an heir already born." I nodded slowly. We all knew that Amy would never have knowingly allowed her sister to have such a fate.

"Your people," Tails began, "they don't know anything about the way your father treats you?"

"No, of course not. Nor are they aware of Amy's engagement to Quarry." She sighed. "You will rescue her, won't you?"

_(Knuckles's POV)_

"Yeah," I automatically said. I may not have known Amy all that well – less than I'd thought before – but there was no way I was just gonna let this crap happen. I really didn't want Amy's arm to look like Alley's. Heck, I didn't want Alley's arm to look like it did!

"Are there any laws we should know in advance? If your father already dislikes us, he'll search for any reason to arrest us. After all-" Rouge smirked at me- "ignorance is no excuse."

My eyes narrowed on her. The stupid bat was always teasing me about something, and the saddest part was that I didn't get half of her subtle insults.

"Oh, yes, of course," Alley said. "I thank you for reminding me."

Rouge's answering smile was slow and sly. I averted my gaze quickly. I really had to stop paying so much attention to her mouth…

"So what are they?" Sonic demanded. He really hadn't said a whole lot since we'd seen Amy get tossed into the back of a ship as if she were a sack of potatoes. It had even made me cringe to see it, and Eggman's I'm-a-crazy-evil-scientist cackle hadn't made the situation any better. I was positive that the Master Emerald would be gone by the time we returned to Mobius, but then again, I didn't think Eggman even knew we'd left for Freesia.

When Alley began listing the important laws, I focused my attention on her. "When a person is working for my father, he is not to be disturbed at all. His personal guards, especially, must not be spoken to at all, even if he speaks to you first. At the palace, the entire West Wing is off-limits to all males, and the entire East Wing is off-limits to all females, unless they are escorted by a male and vice versa.

"The only floors genders may intermingle freely are the first and fourth or top, where the more highly revered guests are allowed to stay. Mind you, this is only the main house I'm speaking of."

"Is the entire planet like that?" I asked. I mean, the whole idea just seemed so outdated to me. Who could live in a place like that?

"No, which is why the first and forth floors are not segregated. The second and third floors are reserved for the royal family and the palace guards. You will find that for anyone else, these floors are enclosed entirely but for doors that lead to each section. No one in the entirety of Freesia would ever believe that the king would be so outdated in his own home, when he actually has females on his court."

"So he's just pretending not to be a creep," I muttered.

Her smile was very sad. "Quite. Oh!" She turned in her chair and drew herself up to her knees so that she could see Cream and Rouge clearly. "This is of the utmost importance: Should any male come to you with sexual propositions, you must accept. This, I am sorry to say is a law that extends across the planet. Originally, it was put in place to end the problems of prostitution and rape, but…"

My eyesight seemed to blur and my fists clenched. If anyone even pretended to lay a hand on Rouge, I'd-

"There is a way around this." I blinked. Muh? There was?

Cream's worried expression became relieved. "Oh, thank goodness!"

"Yes, but some of you may not be pleased."

Rouge lifted a hand and waved it dismissively. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be better than having to go off with anyone who asks."

"Well…" Alley sighed. "You must be claimed, convincingly, by someone currently in this ship. In other words, you must pretend that a male in here is your steady lover or boyfriend. Adultery and cheating are offenses punishable by at least twenty years in prison. This is, supposedly, to cut down on divorce rates."

Pretend what? She was kidding, wasn't she? That was a joke. That had to be a joke. I wasn't laughing, but it had to be a joke.

"You said 'convincingly'. Just what does that entail?" Rouge asked.

"What one would expect, I imagine. Public displays of affection like kissing, holding hands – such things like that are never displayed between casual partners."

Cream giggled. "Tails, will you be my pretend boyfriend?"

His head whipped around, the blush soaking through his furry cheeks. "Uh...yeah. Sure, okay." I suppressed a laugh. Poor kid.

I leaned back in my chair, my earlier panic gone. I was certain Rouge would pick Shadow. She knew him better, after all, and I'd never seen them fight. It was logical and better, I reasoned, ignoring the flare of jealousy I had no reason to feel.

_(Rouge's POV)_

A pretend lover, huh? With a side of kissing and such. Cream's choice hadn't surprised me a bit; Tails was the obvious choice, of course. Sonic belonged to Amy and Knuckles and Shadow…they weren't anyone's, really.

My first instinct, to my surprise, was to choose Knuckles for myself. It just didn't make sense. I was _friends_ with Shadow, so why…? Ah. That was it. Shadow and I were friends. I couldn't imagine kissing him, but Knucklehead? That could be interesting.

Now that I'd made my choice, I needed to put a spin on it that would embarrass the stubborn hothead. I would have to make him so flustered he wouldn't be able to refuse or back out.

To Alley I said, "I may have to think about it." I saw Knuckles look my way, his violet eyes wide in surprise. When I smirked, he quickly looked away again. "On the other hand, I'm sure you're curious, Knucklehead." His cheek reddened and my smile widened. "I'll go with you, then."

I stretched out comfortably, crossing my legs. This impromptu trip held some interesting possibilities…

Oh, and saving Amy was pretty important too.

* * *

Don't you just love Rouge? 

X3

But, yeah, this is how the POV changes go throughout most of the story. Kind of randomized and a little bit hard to follow, I guess.

Next chapter, you get to meet the king of Freesia!

Bum bum buuuuuum!

You'll hate him, I'm sure!

lol

So read and review, peoples!

I'll update ASAP!


	5. First Impressions

And, we're back, folks!

Chapter 4 is alive and kickin'!

And if you didn't hate the king from the previous chapter alone, this one'll definitely have you seething!

I mean, _I _created the guy and can't friggin' stand him!

But yeah...

lol

The POVs in this chapter are Amy's and Sonic's

:3

_

* * *

_

_Chapter 4_

_First Impressions_

_(Amy's POV)_

I opened my eyes slowly, thinking that I had gone blind. A bit panicky, I pulled out the Piko-Piko Hammer and swung it randomly. I regretted the action immediately when there was a loud, booming echo as it struck something.

A few seconds later a small door opened, letting in light and a familiar looking husky. She was shimmery white with kind, silver eyes. Her long woolen sweater was a deep purple that trailed to her feet, where she wore the same color boots. Her gloves were also the same shade, and I couldn't see what she wore underneath the sweater.

"Flurry," I breathed, beyond happy to see her.

"Oh, Amelia, it has been much too long!" She opened her arms and I rushed into them, clinging tightly. After my mother had "mysteriously died (Alley and I both knew our father had poisoned her) when I had turned four, Flurry had raised Alley and I. She was the only person, besides Alley, whom I had dearly missed since escaping to Mobius.

"You 'ave become so lovely," Flurry murmured. "As with sweet Allison, the years 'ave been blessed things, no? Tell me, did you fall in love?"

I held her tighter after this, letting the tears fall. Thinking of Sonic, of what he must think of me now, was too painful to stand!

"I see you have, chère. It is ze only thing that could explain why you are not married, oui? Zere could be no ozzer reason why some young man 'as not snatched such a flower as you up for heez own private garden." As I felt her tears hit me, her French accent thickened.

"Come, come," she said briskly after a few moments. "I will tell you of Freesia, oui? Zis way you will not suffer so bad a – how do you say? – culture shock, no? We will be zere very soon, mon ami."

_Soon…_

I allowed Flurry to button me into a long, white coat that covered me from neck to toe. Freesia was always so cold, I recalled. So desperately, bitingly cold…

"Now you will look like a bride-to-be, whezzer or not we want you to."

My wedding was only a month away, so I was required to wear white for that time span. My red headband had been replaced with a white one and my shoes had been switched for white boots that were stiff and uncomfortable. Upon reaching the palace I would probably have to be fitted for a white blouse and skirt.

The spaceship had just landed and the guards who'd ridden with us had gone ahead to let my father know we were there. As the final buttons were snapped, I prepared myself for the physical blow I would definitely receive from him.

Through the windshield – or whatever it's called in a spaceship – I could see a red hedgehog bearing a crown and dark suit walking amongst a large group of guards. At his right I could see a painfully familiar gray rat.

I shuddered, unable to control myself. It was Quarry, my fiancé. Almost twenty years my senior and even crueler and colder than my father, I was terrified at the thought of marriage to him. The night before I had escaped from Freesia, he had…He'd tried to rape me. I was only nine at the time, but that hadn't stopped him. Though I doubted he'd be interested in me now that I wasn't as young as maybe he'd like, but I still didn't want to go _anywhere_ near him.

"Come, Amelia. It is best we get zis over with quickly, no?"

Numb, I nodded and followed Flurry out the door. I wanted to cry, to scream and rage over the injustice of it all, but that would show weakness, which was exactly what my father was expecting.

As we walked closer, I straightened my shoulders, hardened my eyes, and made my expression emotionlessly passive. I would never let him see what he expected from me.

The snow crunched under my feet as we walked, Flurry two steps to my right and one behind, as was the custom. Since I had no official guards yet, she was to act as my bodyguard should we be attacked.

I halted several steps away from my father. "Amelia," he greeted. His voice was just as I remembered: deep and calm and quiet, as if he were reading a bedtime story to a child.

My answering nod was cold. There had been no stories from this man. "Your Majesty."

In unison, the guards all stepped back as if my words had triggered some plan. Quarry, however, remained where he was, his pale blue eyes skimming over me eerily. I stayed focused on my father, braced, as he closed the distance between us and crashed his fist into my face, snapping my head back.

The coppery taste of blood filled my mouth as my father whispered, "Did you think I would fail to notice the heir of Freesia's disappearance?"

_(Sonic's POV)_

She spat blood on the ground and was punched again. It made my blood boil. I'd been prepared – kind of – for her to get smacked or something, but when that bastard had used his fist on her…

It took everything I had to keep from leaping out of the X-Tornado and attacking the guy when the glass shield thing lifted so we could get out. But we had a plan to save Amy and I wasn't about to be the one to screw it up when we hadn't even been on the planet for ten minutes. But, geez, was it going to be hard to pull off.

As we climbed out of the X-Tornado, I saw the king looking at us, eyes narrowed. He barked an order to one of his guards, who immediately rushed over to lift Alley up and out of the X-Tornado. "Welcome home, Your Highness."

She merely nodded and walked over to stand next to Amy. "Hello, Father."

"Allison." I saw his fits clench again and for a tense second thought he was going to hit her too. Then his fist relaxed and he glared over at us. "Why are they here?"

Alley looked at the ground. "My apologies, Father, but perhaps they should be the ones to explain themselves."

Amy's eyes had gone wide, and I had to struggle to keep mine away from her. God, this was frustrating! I just wanted to talk to her and I couldn't even make eye-contact!

…Not…not that I was overly worried or obsessed or anything.

His guards moved in close again, and the king strode towards us. "Why have you come to Freesia?"

I knew the demand was aimed at me, but I sent an expectant look to Shadow. Now we had to start putting our plan into action. "We wished to see who would be foolish enough to marry Amy," Shadow explained. When I lifted a brow, he corrected himself. "My apologies. I meant Princess Amelia."

"I see." Shift turned to me. "Do you speak, sir?"

Once again, I directed a look to Shadow. "Not when there are others to speak for him, Your Majesty."

I cleared my throat to get Shadow's attention, nodded once when he looked at me. "Ah, Your Majesty, is it possible for us to hasten our pace? Pardon, but we wish to return to Mobius before Eggman takes over the planet before Sonic is able to."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alley stamp on Amy's foot just as she was about to say something. I resisted the urge to do something to catch her attention.

"Is that so?" Quickly, I rounded my attention back on the king. A soft smile graced his lips and his eyes were littered with curiosity. "You are portrayed as heroes on your planet."

"People believe what they will," Shadow said casually. "I'm sure you understand that."

His answering laugh may have been quieter and shorter than Eggman's, but it definitely let me know that this guy was not one to mess with. "Indeed, I do," he murmured. "You did nothing when I struck my daughter."

"Of course not, Your Majesty. There are times when a woman must be put in her proper place."

He laughed again. "Quite. Do you have luggage?"

"No, sir, as we believed whatever we need will be available on this planet, able to be purchased."

Actually, Shadow and I had gone to everyone's houses as fast as possible just to grab winter jackets and crap 'cause Alley had said Freesia was cold year-round.

But the king didn't need to know that. "Good, good. The economy can always use a boost."

"On any planet," Shadow agreed. It had been a good idea to let Shadow do all the talking. For someone who'd usually choose silence, he was doping a pretty good job of lying for all of us.

Smiling softly, the king and his guards strode away, pausing so he could glare at his daughters. Alley, the "meek little sister", bowed her head demurely while Amy kept her eyes level. I suddenly wanted to run up, sweep her off her feet, and…Yeah.

Anyway…

Two of his six guards came up to us. "You will walk behind the princesses," one instructed. "No verbal or physical contact of any kind is permitted with them unless the king says otherwise. Understand?"

We all just nodded, remembering that rule Alley had told us about talking to the king's men. These bobcats looked like sticklers for rules and other junk like that. As we started walking, I dipped my hands into the pockets of my red jacket, fingering the quick note I'd scrawled for Amy aboard the ship. There _had_ to be a way for me to get this to her without anyone noticing…

_Soon…_

The main house was in view and I _still_ hadn't managed to give the note to Amy! Dang it, dang it, dang it, dang, it!! What was I going to do?!

A loud booming sound went off in the distance and each guard turned away, whipping out really big guns that I hadn't even noticed until then. _Dang!_

I bit back a grin. _What good timing!_ I thought and slid the note into Amy's pocket. She turned her head and our eyes met; my mouth went uncomfortably dry. _Oh, geez…Where'd _this_ reaction come from?_

"What are you all doing here?" she whispered, as the guards began shouting loudly into walkie-talkie things.

It seemed really lame to say "rescuing you," so I just said, "Read the note when you can, Ames."

She opened her mouth – probably to say something else – but a quiet voice had her turning her head away. "Standing around worrying about something at the opposite end of the grounds is _not_ delivering us to the main house." It sent chills running up and down my spine, his voice. Just the tone was…creepy. This king was no Eggman. He was the real deal.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The six guards bowed respectively, not that I could find much to respect. "Our apologies."

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I hope you enjoyed it! 

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Please review!

They're my favorite!

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	6. Broken Floor

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The next chapter!

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If you're worried that Amy was a lil bit OOC, don't worry

This chapter swings her back to normal

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_Chapter 5_

_Broken Floor_

_(Amy's POV)_

My fingers itched to take the note Sonic had given me out of my pocket, so I could read it. What would he have written? I kept my head bowed as I trouped up the stirs alongside Alley, one guard in front of us, another two behind.

Sonic and the others were still on the bottom floor with my father and…with Quarry. I shuddered involuntarily. I hated the thought of any of my friends being here with those two! Knowing Sonic and Quarry were even on the same planet repulsed me.

The guards stopped suddenly, Alley and I quickly doing the same. A second later, Flurry was pushing her way past the guards behind us. "I will take ze princesses to zeir room, n'est pas? You men are all required in ze drawing room."

They each nodded and traveled down the stairs. Flurry opened the door to the female section of the third floor, and ushered us through. You will be sharing a room, of course, but your fazzer… He will try and find any reazon to separate you. Please, mes enfants, do not give him such a reazon."

As we traveled down the hall, I was grateful that we didn't run into anyone. The sooner we made it to our room, the sooner I could read Sonic's note. "Here, cher." We stopped and I found myself in front of a large Maplewood door, covered in steel bars. I had little doubt that the windows within the room were also barred.

Flurry pulled out a key ring on which were so many rings that the jingle they should've made was nonexistent. As she undid a dead bolt, a dialed lock, a padlock, a hand scanner, and four regular keyhole locks, my heart sank. None of these things seemed new, so I had a bad feeling that they'd all been installed right after I'd escaped. I felt terrible, knowing Alley had gone through so many hardships while I'd been free to live whatever life I chose.

"I will leave you two alone, oui?" said Flurry, opening the door and ushering is inside. "I must now show our guests to zeir rooms."

"Flurry," Alley whispered, "will you give Sonic Amy's old room?"

"But of course." She patted Alley's cheek the same maternal way she'd done when we were younger. My eyes teared when I realized that Cream's mother, Vanilla, had shown that same tenderness around everyone she met. I missed her just then as much as I had missed Flurry and Alley the entire time I'd been on Mobius.

"Ah, cher, be strong." Flurry drew me close for a tight hug. "You must be strong, for no weak woman would ever be able to escape Freesia, twice."

I nodded, giving her a last squeeze before drawing back. In a very European move, she kissed both of my cheeks airily. "Au revoir, mes filles douces. Behave."

She closed the door, leaving us alone. Immediately, I dug into my pocket for the note.

"What is that?" Alley inquired.

I unfolded the paper without looking up. "Sonic gave it to me."

_Amy –_

_I'm only gonna call you "princess" if I really have to. Just though I should tell you that first. So listen – read, whatever. Alley basically came up with this whole plan to get us on your father's good side. That way it should be easier to get you out of here. She'll give you the details, so yeah…_

_To be honest, I don't really know why I'm writing this… But, heck, I know from what Alley's told us that this planet – for you guys – really sucks. I'm not mad – none of are, I think – that you kept the whole royalty thing from us. We kind of understand, or are trying to._

_I promise that we'll get you out of there (and we'll get Alley too) no matter what. There's __no way__ I'm letting you marry a guy like Quarry. I care about you too much, okay?_

I smiled to myself. That last line had looked as if it had been erased, then rewritten, then erased, and rewritten again. Sonic could be so silly.

_So just go along with everything we say around the king and stuff. Be careful. No one wants to see you hurt. I'll talk to you as soon as possible, Amy._

_-Sonic_

I sighed, reading the note once more before re-folding it. "So what's the plan?"

_(Alley's POV)_

"Become lying liars that lie," I quipped. It wasn't out of spite, as I wasn't offended that she wasn't going to show me the note. It was her own personal business after all.

She rolled her eyes at my statement, and I smiled. "All right, all right. The intent is to make Sonic into a tyrannical sort of person. He merely acts like a hero so that there will be less argument when he finally gets rid of Eggman permanently and takes over Mobius."

"All of which couldn't be further from the truth," she murmured, running his note through her fingers.

I nodded, unclipping my purple cloak and hanging it on one of my bedposts. "So I've concluded." She removed the long white coat, revealing her red dress. I frowned. "Someone should be here soon to fit you with a proper dress."

She wandered over to her bed and sat heavily. "I can't wait?"

"That's the spirit," I teased. Seeing her so sad and sardonic when I remembered her being such a happy and hopeful person worried me somewhat.

Suddenly she looked up, a bright smile on her face. "Don't worry about a thing, Alley. With Sonic and everyone here, every thing'll be just fine!"

Such optimism…I smiled slowly. "If you say so, Amy, I'll believe it."

She laughed. "I'm glad!"

_(Sonic's POV)_

"Here you are, Sonic." The husky (I'd forgotten her name) opened a door.

"Thanks," I murmured. "Hey, um, is there any way I can talk to Amy?" I only asked the questions because everyone else had already been put in a room, so I knew I wouldn't get any looks or smirks. Plus, I knew from Alley that the French husky was trustworthy.

She let out a low laugh. "But of course, Monsieur." Before I could ask how, she shooed me into the room. "Au revoir, Sonic.," she said, and shut the door in my face.

I stood there in shock for a minute, then folded my arms and tapped my foot. I was tempted to go after her and demand to know what she'd meant. It was totally unfair that she would tell me I could talk to Amy and then not say how!

Still grumbling, I tossed my jacket onto the bed. But I made sure to be more careful unwinding the red scarf. I ran it through my fingers, studying it. Amy had made it for me a couple years ago for Christmas, but I'd been away at the time, so I hadn't gotten it until the New Year.

_Flashback…_

"Hey, Tails!" I shouted, waving at the plane overhead.

A twin-tailed fox peered over the edge, and I could see him grin. "Sonic, you're back!" He dipped one wing to fly closer to my level. "We were all starting to wonder if you'd_ ever_ come home!"

Laughing, I hopped onto the closest wing and we lifted high into the air. "I always come back, pal. So did I miss anything?"

"Just Christmas."

"No way!" This surprised and bothered me. As much as I took off on my own, I never missed that particular holiday. It was special, you know?

"Yes way. You need to go to Amy's house."

"No way…" This bothered me in a completely different way. Amy was something to be avoided. Sort of like tics or fleas.

"Sonic." He sent me a stern look over his shoulder. "She made you a gift. Besides, you've been gone for months and you shouldn't be there longer than five minutes anyway."

"All right, fine. I'll go by later, I guess…"

He grinned mischievously. "I'm going to call and let her know you're coming."

"Whatever." We came near a mountain, and I jumped onto it. "See ya!"

"Bye, Sonic!"

It was almost midnight before I got around (okay, worked up the nerve) to go to Amy's house. _She's probably asleep,_ I hoped. But those hopes were dashed when I saw a few lights on through her windows.

I went up the walk and pushed the door open – she rarely locked it. "Hey, Amy!" I called.

No answer. Frowning, I started going through the whole house. _If that girl got herself in trouble the same day I got back, I swear…_

"Hi, Sonic!" I turned around and saw her smiling at me. "Sorry, I was out back. The fireworks are about to start, you know." I must've looked as confused as I felt because she giggled. "Oh, don't tell me you don't even know the date!"

I shrugged sheepishly. I didn't have a clue.

"December 31st, silly!"

"Oh, the New Year!" No wonder she was still awake.

"Do you want to watch them? I've got a fantastic view!"

"Uh…" Sure, I wanted to watch them. Fireworks were always cool, but I wasn't exactly excited over watching them with _her_.

"Oh! I almost forgot! Hang on a second!" She rushed past me and darted into her bedroom.

I sighed. Then again, I had been gone since October…And she didn't seem hell-bent on whacking my head off with the Piko-Piko Hammer or squeezing me to death. So maybe I should stay for a little while…

Amy came back into the living room with a box wrapped in bright red paper. "I was surprised when you didn't come home for Christmas, Sonic. You always manage to."

"Yeah, I know… I guess I just lost track of time." I took the box from her. "Merry, late, Christmas."

She giggled again. "And Happy New Year. Go on, open it. I don't want to miss the fireworks!"

"Okay, okay." I set it on a nearby table to unwrap it. "So Tails said you made this."

"He wasn't supposed to tell you that! Here, I'll take that." She took the paper I'd already torn off the box. "Now it's practically guessable!"

Sure it was… I opened the box and pulled out a long red cloth. "A scarf? You actually made a scarf?"

"Yep! I've heard you complain all the time that you get too hot in your jacket since you run all the time. But it's silly to spend winter without anything warm on, so I thought this would be practical. Plus – " she took the scarf and looped it around my neck – "this'll come in handy on those occasions where you stand still."

"I…" She tied the scarf loosely, and I smiled. Annoying or not, Amy Rose really was a nice girl. "Thanks, Amy."

"I liked making it," she said, grinning. "Knitting's fun once you get the hang of it. Nowe come on!" Still grinning, she took my hand and led me out the back. "I don't want to miss the show!"

Because I felt like it (and because no one was around) I linked our fingers.

_End Flashback…_

I blew out a breath. That was the night I'd really started thinking of Amy as a friend. She still had a tendency to be a pain in the neck, but she was still a friend.

There was suddenly a muffled squeal under my feet. "Princess Amelia, you really 'ave returned!"

It took about a minute (shut up, I'm not slow!) to connect "Princess Amelia" to "Amy Rose" but I was quick to realize that she was right underneath me. I hung the scarf over the bedpost and dropped to all fours. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but that husky – Flurry! I remembered – had told me that there was a way to talk to Amy. Since shouting through the floor didn't make much sense, I knew there had to be something else in here.

My hand brushed over a bit of carpet that felt just a little bit different from the rest of it all. Had I not been so focused, I never would've noticed it. As it was, I tugged at the section until it lifted from the ground, revealing a closed vent. I turned a small switch on the side and the slots opened, bringing Amy and a white mouse with a tape measurer into view.

"It would be a lot easier if I just told you my measurements," Amy said. Apparently, audio had gotten clearer too. Frickin' awesome.

The mouse shook her head. "No, no. Your 'Ighness, I'd never forgive meself if I did no' properly measure. Afta all, I may measure differ'tly than the tailors on Mobius. You would no' want to be wearin' ill-fittin' garments the rest of your time as a spinster, now would you?"

Spinster? How outdated a word was that? And did everyone on Freesia have an accent? This mouse sounded British.

"Mademoiselle, you will hurry? Sir Quarry is also in need of your services," I heard Flurry say.

"Oh, dear." She looked decidedly nervous. "Of course, yes." She scurried behind Amy. "Just one more measurement, Your 'Ighness." Without warning, she looped the tape around Amy's breasts. I had to stifle a laugh at the embarrassed face she made. "There we are, Your 'Ighness. I can promise that on the 'morrow you'll have a dress properly befittin' a bride-to-be."

"I can hardly wait," she muttered.

"Pardon?"

"I can hardly wait," she repeated, sounding a lot happier.

"Oh, that's grand, that is. Ms. Flurry, we should no' be keepin' Sir Quarry waitin'. He'll have a right temper tantrum if I take too long, I dare say."

The mouse scurried out of view and I heard the door open and close a moment later.

Alley laughed. "She means well, but she's quite the airhead."

And there was my cue. "I'll say."

Amy looked up quickly, and I could see a bruise forming along her jaw. Man, that really pissed me off. "How did you find the vent on your own?" she asked.

Guess she already knew about it… I grinned, trying to focus on her rather than the satisfying image of punching her father to see how he liked it. "You forget how amazing I am, Ames."

She giggled. "Not likely. There should be a latch nearby that lifts up the trapdoor. Find it, okay?"

A latch, eh? I patted the floor, tugging at the carpet until I found it. I pulled a couple of times and the trapdoor finally lifted, revealing a tunnel-way wide enough for one of those polar bears to get through.

I saw that Amy had dragged a chair just underneath it. "What are you doing?"

She clambered onto the chair and reached out a hand. "Pull me up. I need to make sure I'm not dreaming this."

"All right, hang on." The girl was crazy. I braced myself with my legs and one hand, reaching down to her with the other once I was steady. Our hands clasped and I pulled her up through the tunnel.

As soon as she could, she hugged me so tightly I could hardly breathe. It was her normal thing to do, but rather than struggle to get out of the death-grip, I hugged her back. "I can't believe you're all here, Sonic."

"C'mon, Ames, of course we'd be here." I felt her tears begin to drench my fur, so nuzzled her ear. It was the only thing I could think of to comfort her. "I – that is to say, we - care about you, Amy."

"But I lied to all of you! I know you wrote that you understand, but how can you juts forgive me so easily?"

I drew back, lightly trailing my fingers over her bruise. "We all saw Alley's arm; we watched him hit you twice; we saw just how hard you fought to get away back on Mobius. Not in that order, but still. That all goes a long way into helping us forgive you."

I thought of what Cream had said on the way to Freesia. "And no one can fake a personality that many years, so –"

My quills stood on end when her mouth, warm and mobile, latched onto mine. My quills calmed soon as every bone in my body melted and my brain went to mush. Whatever made Amy keep kissing me was some kind of God send. Not that I… Screw it, I _did_ enjoy it.

I let one of my hands trail into her hair and brought the other one to her back, pressing her closer. She wound her arms around me, pouring herself into the kiss.

She drew back. "Thank you so much, Sonic."

I might've mumbled "you're welcome" but I really have no clue. I couldn't even remember what we'd been talking about.

**

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**

Huzzah for the SonAmyness-ness!

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The next chapter will have a nice lil Knuxouge scene and you'll see a lil bit of Shadow's problems too!

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	7. Confuddled Emotion

All right!

It's finally up!

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Sorry, it took me so long…

X.X

I've been busy and stuff…

Please forgive me!

The POVs in this story are of Shadow, Rouge, and Knuckles

_

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_Chapter 6_

_Confuddled Emotion_

_(Shadow's POV)_

I stared out the window of the room Flurry had placed me in, watching snowflakes fall to the ground. "I don't like any of this," I muttered.

"Any of what?"

"This…this _plan_ we've agreed to." I looked back, slightly annoyed.

Rouge only laughed, laid back on the bed. "What? You don't enjoy coming up with lies on-the-spot? If Shift had any tolerance of women, I'd handle it."

"That's not necessarily it," I admitted, turning away. "Just so long as the blue baboon keeps his mouth shut, that end may as well already be tied up."

"Then what's bothering you?"

I turned fully to face her, and saw her examining herself in her compact mirror. "You're incredibly vain."

She hardly glanced my way. "I have to make sure I look good for that knucklehead. I'm off to his room next to make sure he's at least a _decent_ kisser." I winced, extremely relieved that she hadn't chosen me to be her "boyfriend". It would have been very awkward, as far as I was concerned.

Her compact was shut with a snap. "But I digress. Tell me what's bothering you, Shadow. Is it just the fact that we won't be able to return home after we rescue Amy and Alley?"

Allison…I couldn't figure out why I felt so odd around the girl. Even the first time I'd seen her, there'd been a strange reaction.

_Flashback…_

"Hedgehog!" I stopped, looked warily about. "Over here!" the female voice called again.

Still wary, I backtracked a bit to see a female hedgehog trapped behind glass. Her fur was a lighter shade than Amy Rose's and she wore a slim-fitting purple dress. Over her shoulders, a black cloak was hooked by a glittering red brooch.

"Tell me," she said, "do you know Amy Rose?"

What could this stranger want with Amy? My eyes narrowed slightly. "Why?"

"Please, it is of the utmost importance that I speak with her! If you do not know her, I implore you to release me so that I may locate her on my own. I heard the Doctor Eggman say that he planned to capture her and saw her with my own eyes not ten minutes ago. I _must_ find her!"

It seemed she was being truthful… "Amy's already been rescued."

She gasped in horror, confusing me. "Then I must be freed at once! I have to pass my warning to her before she returns to her home!"

I still wasn't quite sure what to think about her, but I rammed against the large button that would lift the glass into the ceiling. She clambered out. "All my gratitude unto you, hedgehog."

"Shadow."

"I beg your pardon?"

She turned her head and our eyes locked. To my complete and utter bewilderment every coherent thought drained from my mind. She had the deepest, clearest blue eyes I had ever seen. One could drown within them, I was sure. "Ah…my name. It's Shadow."

Her bright smile did nothing to assist my state of mind. "You may call me Alley…Shadow." I could only nod. My mouth had gone dry. "You said Amy had already been rescued. Do you know where she is now?"

I only nodded again. I knew which direction Sonic had taken her and I knew the area we'd agreed to meet at. "Which way?" Alley inquired.

Letting out a long breath, I shook myself. This was no time to lose my focus, particularly since there was absolutely no reason to. I didn't even know this girl! "You would never make it in time if I just told you."

"Then how—"

Without warning, I swept her into my arms and ran, ignoring the spirals of heat the contact had sent though my body.

_End Flashback…_

I shook my head. "That is a part of it, yes. But the rest I haven't quite figured out."

"Well, when you do figure it out, you know you can tell me." Rouge stood, stretching, and I wondered why I had never felt such an elemental attraction for her as I felt for Allison. The rogue treasure hunter was much more my type than a princess who wished to be queen.

"Leaving so soon?"

She smirked. "I have to make sure that echidna doesn't embarrass me."

My lips quirked slightly. "Good luck, I suppose."

"Bye, Shadow." She sauntered out, closing the door behind her.

After a momentary debate, I flung my green cloak over my shoulders and opened the window. After checking to see that no one was around, I leapt down the four stories and ran off to be alone with the cold and my thoughts.

_(Knuckles POV)_

I sat on the bed, legs crossed, hands clasped, eyes closed. Even while it was several million miles away, I still had a connection to the Master Emerald. It was just harder to bring it into focus.

It was pretty surprising to sense that it was still on Angel Island. Ever since I'd started fighting alongside Sonic, Angel Island had been attracting more and more visitors. Most of them were just curious, but the few that were more interested in stealing the Master Emerald (other than Rouge or Eggman) had caused me a whole lot of trouble.

Maybe no one even knew we'd left… It's not like we had a lot of time to advertise we were going anywhere. Heck, I didn't even think _Eggman_ knew we were gone. Me and Tails…and Rouge had made sure that Eggman would have to rebuild his base before we'd left it. That also bought the Master Emerald some time on that end, and with Rouge on Freesia I didn't have to worry about her getting it either. I'd just have to trust Chaos to guard it from anyone else until I could get back. That should only be a month or so away, so…

My eyes opened. No, who was I kidding? I was going to help two princesses escape their planet – kidnapping, basically. Returning to Mobius and Angel Island wouldn't happen for years, if ever. This king was pretty mean.

I closed my eyes again and pressed the heels of my hands to the lids. I had traded my entire life's purpose, the duty I was born to perform, to save a friend and a total stranger. There was something bad about that. Something very, very bad.

I heard the door open and close and uncovered my eyes. I sighed irritably when I saw who had entered. I was _not_ in the mood to deal with her. "What do _you_ want, Batgirl?"

"Well, aren't we in a happy mood." Rouge leaned back against the door. "What's wrong?"

I folded my arms, glaring at her. "You don't care."

"C'mon, Knuckie," she chided. "Until we get out of here, you get to be my boy toy. I have to care."

I looked away in an attempt to hide the blush that had flooded my cheeks. I'd almost forgotten about being her fake boyfriend. "That doesn't mean anything," I muttered. "It's fake."

"Mmm…Maybe so, but we should really practice our acting skills, don't you think?" My blush deepened when I felt her sit right next to me. I shifted away automatically, but she moved closer again. "How's my Master Emerald, Knuckie?"

I blew out a breath, feeling very uncomfortable. "It's not_ yours_, Batgirl. Give it up."

"I'll bet you're just worried since we don't know how long we'll be here. Am I right?" I didn't answer; she nudged my side. "C'mon, Knucklehead, play along. Am I right?"

I slanted a look in her direction. "Yes, all right? Congratulations! Now get out of here!"

"Not yet." To my shock, she slid into my lap, straddling me. "I still haven't done what I came in here to do."

She smiled and my heart skipped a beat before it sped up. _Move!_ My mind shouted. _Move back right now!_ But my body didn't seem to be in the mood to listen to my brain. I could only stay very still as she slowly and deliberately leaned forward. _Oh, man. Oh, man. Oh, man._

When our lips were only a breath apart, she laughed softly. "I have to make sure you know what you're doing, after all," she whispered and closed the distance.

Even when my each and every nerve snapped to life, I recognized the challenge and the insult in her words. I was not about to submit to her or retreat. I put a hand on her back to press her closer and angled my head to deepen the kiss.

At the change I saw her eyes darken and felt immense satisfaction…among other things. After a moment, her eyes slid closed and her fingers curled into my shoulders. At the same time, I forgot all the rules and just kissed her. All the walls and shields I normally kept up around her shattered and fell.

When we drew apart for air, her cheeks were flushed and when she opened her eyes they were blurred. I should've felt proud of myself but…wow. Wowie, wow, wow.

Her voice was huskier and softer than normal when she said, "I'm glad we did this now instead of in public." I wasn't sure if I could speak at all, so I just nodded.

She stood quickly, actually looking flustered. I'd never seen her flustered before, but the triumph I should've felt was once again overruled by wow. I watched compose herself. "Now that I know what to expect, the next kiss won't be such a big deal."

She was at the door before her words caught up with me. _Wait, she knows what to expect? I'll show her!_

Within a split second, I had her back pinned against the door, our mouths fused together. As she started sliding downwards, I gripped her hips to keep her where she was.

I leaned back before I could sink too deep. "Still know what to expect?" I murmured.

She made a soft sound and managed to go out the door.

It took a good twenty minutes for me to figure out that I had won that round.

* * *

Whoo!

Got some Knuxouge as promised!

And a taste of ShadOC for y'all who've already guessed my Shadow and Alley pairing.

lol

Notice, he's the only one who'll call her "Allison"

Next chapter, the POVs are of Tails, Sonic, Amy, and Sonic again.

You'll get another reason to toptally hate the king and you'll start hating Quarry more, too!


	8. Injured

Okay, the first half of this chapter is for the Crails fans out there! lol

But then it just gets bad when we switch back to Sonic and Amy's troubles.

The POVs in this chapter are Tails, Sonic, Amy and Sonic again.

Please enjoy!

:3

* * *

_Chapter 7_

_Injured_

_(Tails's POV)_

After having fully assured myself that there were no cameras within my room, I removed my blue coat and hung it haphazardly over the back of a chair. Next I took off my "watch" and removed the clock part from the wrist part. There are more technical names for the, of course, but I wouldn't want to bore or confuse you. I pressed my thumb against the metal backing on the clock part (one again, I don't wish to confuse you with technical terminology) and a very feminine voice – what straight male would ever resist such a cliché? – said, "Identity confirmed: Miles "Tails" Prower."

I set it down on a small desk and a minute later the watch transformed into a full-size laptop. Before we'd been taken up the stairs to our rooms, the guards had searched us rather thoroughly for all weaponry, cameras, any technological devise that they deemed unsafe, and anything else that they didn't want us to have. Shadow had been furious when forced to hand over his gun, but he'd concealed it well. Rouge had been made to give them her communicator. Sonic, as usual, had nothing on him but his legs, but he didn't need or want anything else. Cream had had nothing on her, as well, which was just as small a surprise. Knuckles, to his extreme distaste, had had to remove his gloves to prove that the spikes on his hands were actually connected to his body. I never really thought about this before, but it was a tad startling to see that he had actual fingers under his mittens. Honestly, I'm not certain what I was expecting. Webs or some other deformity, I suppose.

Ah, well. Anyway, the guards didn't look twice at my "watch". That was very relieving to me, as I'd worried some when they'd taken Rouge's wrist communicator. Then again, she used that to speak with the government, and I used my watch to (cough, cough) tell time.

I sat before my laptop, cracked my knuckles, and made a bit of a show to amuse myself before getting to work. Within thirty minutes I had the entire planet mapped out as well as an intricate layout of the royal grounds. Added to that was an extensive list of the planet's rules _and_ the piece de résistance, King Shift's and Sir Quarry's e-mail correspondence over the past twenty years. I now knew every detail of Queen Ivy's death, public knowledge or not. I also had the entire genetic make-up of both Alley and Amy and could've told them who their second-cousin, twice removed on their mother's side had given birth to out-of-wedlock and who the child's father was.

Now, I highly doubted I would need most of that, but it always pays to be prepared.

Just as I began memorizing the guards' schedules, there was a knock at the door. From my research, I already knew that the camera stationed outside my door would be able to pick up the existence of my laptop easily, I quickly stashed the computer under a pillow before going to the door.

I opened it to see Cream waiting, looking a bit nervous. "Hello, Tails."

"Oh, hi." I opened the door wider, letting her inside. I was careful not to glance at the camera I knew watched us as I closed the door behind her. "You settling in all right?"

"Well enough, thank you." She looked around my room, and then smiled at me. "So where's your computer?"

I leaned back against the door. "What makes you think I've got one?"

When she giggled, I smiled. It was such a cheerful sound, after all, that it was almost impossible not to smile. "Easy," she explained. "You don't wear a watch and the band to the one you were wearing earlier is on that chair without its face."

I shook my head and went to the bed and retrieved my laptop from under the pillow. "You know, it's easy to forget how observant you are."

She only giggled again. "So, um, I was wondering: Are there any cameras in my room?"

At the nervous question, I looked up at her and noticed that she was still wearing her long, light blue coat. There was no one quite as shy as Cream the Rabbit, I reflected. "No, but they're everywhere in the hallways."

"Oh, that's good." She began unbuttoning her coat as she spoke, and my mouth went dry. Ah, hormones. Even geniuses like me aren't immune to the little buggers.

"So, um, is that all you needed to know?" I watched Cream neatly fold her coat and set it on the chair I'd hung mine on. I had to swallow uncomfortably when she undid the top two buttons of her velvet, knee-length, faded orange dress.

"Isn't it strange," she said, "that when you're outside in the cold you only want to be inside where it's warm, and once you get inside, you only want to be outside where it's nice and cool?"

"Ah..." was all I could say.

"And, no, that's not all. I actually wanted to, um, kiss you. If that was okay."

"Um..."

She began folding my coat, not looking at me. "You see, we'll have to do that in public sooner or later, so I thought it would be a good idea to have our first kiss while we're alone." She carried my coat to the dresser, neatly setting in inside a drawer. "So what do you think?"

"Um...ah...yeah..." It _was_ the practical thing to do after all, and...well... In all honesty, I was curious. A girl like Cream... I had no idea whether or not she'd ever even been kissed before.

It was apparent after a moment of unwavering staring, that she wasn't going to move closer to me, so I went to her, framed her face in my hands, and laid my lips lightly on hers.

It was like coming home... That warm, fuzzy blur of happiness you get after returning from a long absence. Riding that easy wave, the kiss deepened until my brain was drowning in a pleasant fog. Normally such a mind state would leave me nervy and on edge, but this was addicting. I only wanted more...

When the kiss ended, her hands were caught loosely in mine. I still didn't know if she'd ever been kissed before, and, to be frank, I don't think I'd ever been kissed before that moment either.

"Do you really have to be a pretend boyfriend?" she whispered, eyes still closed.

I brushed my lips gently over the lids. "Consider yourself claimed, Cream."

_(Sonic's POV)_

"Okay," she said, "let go." I really would've preferred not to, but I released Amy's hands and let her drop to the floor of her's and Alley's room. Quickly, I closed the tunnel. I know Amy had assured me that no one but she and Alley could see through the specially designed hologram, but I had to get rid of any temptation I may have had to jump down there and help the girls if anything bad should happen.

No sooner then I had covered the tunnel, I heard Alley gasp. "Quarry, you shouldn't be in here!"

The door slammed shut. "You would say such a thing to me? Your future brother-in-law?"

_You won't be their future anything if I can help it,_ I thought, angling my head so I could see the rat clearly. I really hated this guy...

"_Why_ are you here?" Amy demanded. She sounded mad, but looked scared. That worried me.

"Do I need a reason to see my bride?" He strutted (what kind of guy _struts_?) over to Amy, and grabbed her chin, placing his fingers directly where her bruise was. When she jerked back with a gasp of pain, he let out a grating laugh. The sound of it made my skin crawl and my fur stand on end.

"Tell me, Amelia, did you think of me often?"

"No, I didn't! Ever!" The back of his hand smacked across her cheek, and I couldn't help the low growl that came from me. This guy was askin' for it...

"Be nice to me, woman, or the next time I'll bruise you."

I very much wanted to jump down and ground that guy into dust. I very nearly did until I saw Alley pinning me with a warning glare. "What are you staring at" Quarry suddenly demanded. I jolted, forgetting for a moment that Quarry couldn't see through the ceiling. He glared hard at Alley. "Allison, you waste of life, has living alone for so long driven you mad?"

She cast her eyes down without answering. Seeming satisfied, the rat turned back to Amy. "As I was saying..." His voice lowered, but I strained my ears to hear every word. "Be nice to me. Amelia. If you displease me in any way, I'll return to this room and please myself. I have permission from you dear, insightful father to enter this room _whenever_ I choose to."

She gasped in shock and he pressed his mouth to hers. Immediately, I saw red and had to bite my hand to keep from jumping down and murdering him. I did _not_ want this...this creature anywhere near my girl!

Yeah, that's right! I said it! _My girl_.

_(Amy's POV)_

I suddenly felt nine years old again: helpless, desperate, and painfully angry. I wanted Quarry away from me, but knew that pushing him away or struggling at all would only make him happy.

Quarry took a step back and spat in my face. "You've become no better than a common whore," he said, "willing to spread her legs for any man." With that, he turned on his heel and strode from the room.

Alley quickly came over to me, a tissue in hand. "That sick, terrible man! He just makes me so angry!" She sighed, wiping the spittle from me cheek. "I suppose we're lucky Sonic managed to keep a hold of his temper."

_Sonic..._

I squeezed my eyes shut. I'd completely forgotten that he was there. Overhead, I heard the trap door open. "Amy?" Without answering, I dragged a chair over so that he could pull me up as he'd done before. The second he could, he crushed me against him. "Go ahead and cry, all right? I don't care if you get me wet."

I curled my fingers into his fur and held on. "The day before I escaped from here he tried to rape me," I blurted, letting the tears fall.

Then I tensed, waiting for him to shift away or at least tense up. But he only stroked my hair, holding me tighter. "Tell me," he murmured.

"I did everything I could to fight him off, but I could barely even lift the Piko-Piko Hammer back then, so it was useless. Alley broke so many rules, but she went and found Flurry before...before..." I couldn't say it again and burrowed closer to Sonic.

"Quarry won't touch you," he said after a moment. "If he even tries, I'll knock him out before he even knows what's happened." He tilted my head back. "That's a promise, Amy."

"Oh, Sonic..." He kissed me and more tears sprang to my eyes. It shouldn't be possible to feel so very safe and happy when I was in such a terrible situation. It truly shouldn't, but I felt safe and happy. I loved him so impossibly much that my heart didn't feel big enough to hold it all in.

"I love you so much, Sonic."

When normally he would've either ignored me or made excuses to get away from me, he only kissed me again. "Amy, I-"

"Amy! Get down here quickly! Someone's coming!" I didn't care. I wanted Sonic to finish what he'd been saying, but he only sighed, and helped me down. When he closed the trap door, I saw only the holographic ceiling before me eyes adjusted and I could see him staring at me with determination in his spell-binding emerald eyes.

The door swung open and I glanced to it, my heart leaping to my throat at the sight of my father.

Alley scrambled to her feet, bowing her head dutifully. "Father, what has brought you to us at such a late hour?"

He ignored her, opting to walk straight towards me. "You would dare wear a thing of color within a month of your weeding?"

_Oh, God,_ I silently prayed. _Oh, God, help me. _Wearing white the entire month before you married was a sacred tradition on this planet and, therefore, the law. My father would never tolerate breaking that law.

"The seamstress was here only an hour ago, Father," Alley desperately informed him. Her tone, as well as my own instinct, let me know that I was about to get much worse than a punch in the face. "Please, Father, there is nothing of purity for her to wear!"

"Then she should wear nothing or the coat given to her upon her arrival on Freesia. Something even you are smart enough to think of, Allison." His gaze slid towards her as he dipped a hand into his pocket. "Perhaps you wanted to see your sister be punished?"

"Never!"

"A pity, Allison. I may have liked you better." Out of his pocket came a small packet of matches. Alley's eyes, as well as mine, widened. Knowing exactly what he was going to do, I took an automatic step back. I couldn't conceal my fear this time; I was afraid to try.

His eyes latched onto mine, and the expression within them chilled me to the bone. "Now, now, Amelia, you shouldn't be frightened. This is merely a situation where you earn what you deserve. Consequences-" he lit a match – "must be delivered whenever they are earned."

He grabbed my hand and pressed the lit match to my arm. As it burned, I couldn't help but cry out in pain. I jerked away, but the flame only burned down my arm.

I couldn't beat out the match with my other hand as I knew he would only light another. But, God, this _hurt_! I could hardly breathe, it hurt so much. "Stop it!"

"Oh, no, my dear. Punishment must be carried out to the end. Besides this outlandish dress being the incorrect color, it is also most unbefitting of a princess. For the royal tailor to have seen you in this, the gossip will spread. People will think of you as a whore, which is most degrading towards a future queen."

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. No matter how much pain I was in, my father would not get the satisfaction of seeing me cry! He wouldn't!

Then, after what seemed like forever, he removed the match from my skin and flicked it to put out the flame. "You shall not anger me again," he advised and walked out.

Tears streaming now that he'd gone, I sank to the floor, holding my arm. Oh, God, it hurt so badly!

_(Sonic's POV)_

That freak! I couldn't believe he would do that to his own daughter! For crying out loud, who cared if she wasn't wearing white? Who was going to see her tonight anyway?

I opened the trap door and jumped down. It didn't matter anymore that I would have trouble getting back up. I needed to _do_ something – anything! – to help Amy. Careful not to touch the burned area of her arm, I hefted her into my lap and rocked her. Earlier, when Alley had said Amy would suffer a lifetime of abuse, she really hadn't been kidding.

Inwardly, curse words and fury pumped through my veins instead of blood. Outwardly, my hands were calm as they stroked her and my voice was soothing nonsense. I don't know what I said 'cause it doesn't matter. All I cared about was that her aching sobs and shudders faded into silent weeping and trembles.

Alley looked on, eyes wide and helpless. I understood that there was nothing she could do, you know? I mean, a man who would burn and punch his kids would never give them access to medicines that could actually help them.

I nuzzled Amy's ear, stroking her hair. If I was really lucky, Tails or another pal of mine would come by soon. One of them had to have some salve or whatever, right? And Tail was bound to have something on his ship.

But if I was really unlucky, someone other than a pal of mine would come by and we'd all just be screwed.

Maybe I should've thought of that sooner... Oops.

_

* * *

_

Bless Sonic's heart, but he can be so dumb...

Grr! I hate you Quarry! And King Shift is EVIL! I hate these characters... (punches self in the face) How dare I create them?!

But yeah...

Now my face hurts...

And, sadly, Quarry and Shift are needed evils in this story...

Until they_ aren't_ needed anymore. (wink, wink)

No, I don't even know if I'll kill 'em off...

lol

Anywayz...

I hope you enjoyed this latest installment!

:3

Please review!

P.S.

In the next chapter, the POVs are Tails and Cream

It's a short one, so the wait shouldn't be that long


	9. Loophole

POVs in this chapter are Tails, Cream, Sonic_

* * *

_

_Chapter 8_

_Loophole_

_(Tails's POV)_

I sped down the hallway, going into rooms to ask everyone if they knew where Sonic's room was at. I had just found the mother of all loopholes. If it worked out, we could potentially go home at the end of the month!

But no one could tell me what I needed to know. Knuckles was brooding; Rouge was staring into space; Cream hadn't had any idea; and Shadow's room had been empty. His window had been open, so I'm guessing he had leapt out to go for a run. Later, I would have to remember to erase that from the security cameras. None of us could be seen leaving the palace grounds without permission.

So I darted back to my room and reopened the laptop. I quickly brought up the security videos from the hall, rewinding until I found what I was looking for. I watched Flurry and Sonic have a conversation in undertones that the camera couldn't pick up and then watched her shove him into a room. Then I checked the room's location from all angles, turned the laptop back into a watch, and ran for Sonic's room.

In seconds I was in, but to my dismay the hedgehog was nowhere to be seen. Just as I was about to run out and recheck my data, I noticed two things: the scarf Amy had given him a few years ago lain out on the bed and a part of the floor seemed to have been lifted back. I sped over and glanced down to see Sonic clearly holding Amy in his lap. "Sonic!" I called.

When he looked up, I got worried. I had never seen him look so angry before. "Tails, so you have anything in the X-Tornado that can help burns?" For the angry expression on his face, his voice was startlingly calm.

"I...Burns?" I repeated dumbly. I studied the scene more carefully and noticed Amy holding one of her arms gingerly. "What happened?" I demanded.

"Tails, just answer me."

Once more I was struck by the calm voice combined with a furious expression. "Yes, I have some salve. It shouldn't take me long to get it."

"Good. Just don't get caught."

"No; I won't." I darted away then came back. "I'll send Cream in here, all right? You'll need to get back up here fast if anyone comes by."

"Yeah, sure. Fine."

Extremely worried, I darted out of the room. What the heck had happened to Amy? And why had Sonic been holding her so...gently? Unlike his usual I-don't-like-her-and-I'll-prove-it-by-being-a-stubborn-jerk attitude, he'd continued to hold her when he'd noticed me watching. What could that mean?

_Soon..._

_(Cream's POV)_

I carefully rubbed the salve Tails had retrieved on Amy's arm. At my coaxing, Sonic had carried her to the bed, but he refused to release her. I found it rather sweet of him, but I kept that to myself. I didn't know if he would move away from her like he normally would.

Knuckles was upstairs in Sonic's room, making sure no one but Rouge or Shadow entered the room. If any of had been caught down here, I'm certain the effects would have been devastating.

Rouge was in Shadow's room, watching and waiting for him to return to the palace. She would fly him up when he finally did. Really, I don't think he shouldn't have left in the first place! It was much too dangerous to go out on a planet we know nothing about!

Tails had his laptop set up on the desk in Alley and Amy's room, muttering to himself. I smiled softly, tearing my gaze from his back. It made me so happy that he was really my boyfriend now! And I wanted nothing more than to tell Amy all about it, but she was in no condition at the moment. This sort of news would require all of her energy.

"This might sting," I murmured soothingly, "but I need to clean this burn."

Amy nodded weakly, turning her head into Sonic's shoulder. Trying to be gentle, I rubbed antiseptic onto the burn, yet she still hissed in pain. Immediately, Sonic rubbed soft circled against her back. "It'll be all right, Ames."

I smiled at Sonic, very proud of him. He was obviously still very angry at the pain her father had caused her, but he was being so kind and careful. It was the just the sweetest thing in the world!

Shadow suddenly dropped to the floor, Rouge and Knuckles right behind him. "No one knows who Amy is supposed to marry," Shadow announced.

I didn't stop rubbing medicine over Amy's burn. "Really? That seems odd." And it did, too. Why wouldn't the people know who their princess was marrying? It truly made no sense.

Shadow nodded. "Yes. And I learned that these Freesians believe the king to be a kind one who has bad taste in _certain_ people."

"Of course. The entire planet despises Quarry, seeing him as nothing more than a butcher. Even my father knows that news of the betrothal would cause an uprising of sorts."

"There's that and the fact that no one outside the royal family is allowed to legally know who anyone in the family is going to marry."

At Tails's words, my hands did stop. "What does that mean?"

Alley looked befuddled as well. "I have never heard of such a law before."

Shaking my head in slight confusion, I found some bandages to wrap around Amy's arm. Now that just didn't sound right to me. Tails was always right about things like that, but how could Alley – a born and raised princess of this planet – not know of such a law?

"Well," Tails explained, "it's a pretty old law that pertains only to the royal family. Here, listen. 'The bride and/or groom who wishes to wed a member of royal blood must keep their engagement a secret from all but others of royal blood,'" he read. "It goes on to basically say that the law was put in place so that no one would get upset if the engagement was changed at the last minute."

I frowned. There were so many silly rules on Freesia. I much preferred it back on Mobius, even with Eggman around. "So that means we aren't supposed to know that Amy's supposed to marry Quarry?" I felt bad for talking about Amy as if she weren't there, but she didn't seem quite ready to join our conversation as she normally would have.

Alley gasped. "That means you could all get arrested if you let on that you know!"

I saw Sonic's eyes change from that quiet rage to speculation. "No, _you_ could get arrested. You're the one who told us about it."

Tails nodded without looking away from his computer. "Exactly. You said yourself, Alley, that once Amy married you could leave Freesia. You couldn't leave if you were under arrest."

"Of course..." Her eyes slid closed. "I should have known father would have planned something like this..."

"How horrible," I murmured, looking at Sonic. "How can anyone be so cruel?"

He sighed, pressing a light kiss to the top of Amy's head. "I wish I could tell ya, Cream."

"It makes you wonder how long Shift's been planning this," Rouge commented. I frowned, fisting my hands loosely in my lap. It was such a horrible thing, but I had no choice but to agree with her.

"Someone may be coming this way," Tails suddenly stated. He slid his headphones over his ears and nodded a moment later. "Two guards are on their way to this room, and two more are going to check on us. Normal people would be asleep at this time of night."

He closed his laptop and hit a button to transform it back into the watch face. He then attached it to the band on his wrist. "We've got a little more than five minutes to get to our rooms and pretend we've been sleeping the past hour or so."

"But, Tails, all they have to do is check the security cameras to find out we haven't been!"

He grinned, transforming his cute face into a self-assured one. He was absolutely dreamy. "There have been a few glitches in the system," he informed us all. "Each time one of us has been in the hall, the cameras have flickered out. Now they'll be out for a little more than five minutes."

I smiled, realizing that I should've known Tails would have done something like that. He was so careful and smart, after all. He went to Knuckles after winking at me, and held out his hand. "C'mon, let's go." The two of them were soon gone, followed by Rouge and Shadow.

Sonic helped Amy into the white coat, while I waited patiently. Not only would the coat keep anyone from seeing the bandages on her arm, but the guards wouldn't be able to tell she wasn't wearing white. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ames."

She squeezed her eyes closed, dropping her forehead to his chest. "Oh, Sonic."

"I know," he murmured. Then he tilted her head back and kissed her in such a way that I couldn't help but sigh. I even saw Alley smile at them. Like me, I'm sure she thought they made the perfect couple! Though, I have to admit, I had had doubts over the years.

When Sonic and Amy finally drew apart, he slipped off her headband and kissed her brow. "Tomorrow," he said again, and she nodded.

With a smile for Amy and Alley, I lifted Sonic from the room. We waited until their light turned off before he closed the trapdoor and placed the carpet back in its proper space.

"Sonic? Um, if you convince Shift to let you marry Amy instead of Quarry, I'm sure we could all go home at the end of the month. Alley said she wanted to be queen anyway, so we wouldn't even have to worry about that."

When he didn't answer, I sighed. "Goodnight, Sonic."

"'Night, Cream."

I left quickly, feeling a bit downhearted. If Sonic wouldn't do it, we would just have to escape as we'd originally planned. My eyes filled with miserable tears. That meant I might never see my mother again!

_(Sonic's POV)_

I ran Amy's headband through my fingers lightly.

Me? Marry Amy? It would take a lot of work to convince Shift to let me trade places with Quarry, but it'd be easy enough once he agreed since no one even knew who the groom was and stuff.

But was I ready to get married? To Amy Rose? No, worse, to a _princess_?

I sighed and started to wrap Amy's headband in the scarf she'd made me. Then I set the bundle under my pillow.

No, just because she was a princess by bloodline, she wasn't a completely different person. She actually seemed...stronger now, though. She'd managed to escape this planet at age nine and had evaded capture for ten whole years. If she'd never met me, maybe Amy Rose would still be on Mobius...

And none of this thinking crap was helping me at all. I laid down and yanked the covers over my head, reaching a hand out just to turn off the light.

_Brain, off!_ I commanded silently and was soon asleep.

* * *

Originally, Sonic wasn't supposed to have a POV in this chap, but I had to give him SOMETHING

lol

Because I realized that he'd taken her headband, but had done NOTHING with it

And he had to have something to say about Cream's suggestion, right?

So this ch signals the end of the introduction

Now we really get into the meat of the story!

lol

Yay!

In the next ch, the POVs are Sonic and Shadow

It's a shorter chapter; sorry

So, in a sign of gratitude for my swift update, please give me a review!

lol

Please.

Byez!


	10. Careful Maneuvering

The POVs in this chapter are Sonic and Shadow!

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 9_

_Careful Maneuvering_

_(Sonic's POV)_

The next few days went by pretty fast as we all sort of adjusted to the whole palace thing. It was strange seeing Amy walking around all in white, her head constantly bowed, flanked by two guards.

A lot more people had invaded the top floor, so it was a little harder for us to go through the hallway to talk to one another. I half wanted to create some secret code, but that would waste time and brain cells. We just had to trust each other, which we already did anyway, so it wasn't that big a deal.

At the moment, Shadow and I were walking on the bottom floor towards the stairs.

"Ah, Sonic, just who I wanted to see." I touched Shadow's arm to stop him, but the king too his time walking towards us.

"Your Majesty, is something amiss?" I was still having some trouble getting used to Shadow talking so proper and so much. It was just so...weird.

The look Shift passed over Shadow let all three of us know that the king only wanted to talk to me, which wasn't going to happen without some careful maneuvering on my part. I'd been mulling over Cream's words from that first night and I'd reached a decision. I just wanted to finagle it on my own, and with everyone so unwilling to let me talk to him on my own, I just had to be patient and wait for my chance.

I hated being patient.

"Oh," said the king, "nothing, really. Just a...small issue. Walk with me?"

Like we even had a choice... I sent a slight nod to Shadow and he said, "Of course, Your Majesty."

"Wonderful." He led us towards the stairs briskly. "I would like to know your impression of Freesia thus far, gentlemen."

"We've been no where but the palace grounds, Your Majesty. While beautiful, they don't truly give us knowledge of the planet."

"Of course, of course." He waved a hand grandly and stopped at doors to the second floor. He opened the one that led to, what we knew, was the male half of the floor. "My office is this way, if you will. I would feel more comfortable discussing the matter at hand in private."

As we walked down the long hallway, portraits of past kings and queens gazed at us with unblinking stares. Normally pictures didn't freak me out, but walking down this hall just gave me the creeps.

The last portrait before the king stopped caught my attention because the woman's eyes were ones I had seen before. This queen was a white hedgehog, youthful and gorgeous. Her crown was askew and she was the only person I'd seen smiling in all the paintings so far. Held delicately in her lap was none other then the Piko-Piko Hammer Amy currently wielded and those shining jade eyes also now belonged to Amy.

"My late wife," Shift murmured, and I tore my gaze from the portrait to look at him. "This was painted a mere month after we married. A pity she would die four short years later."

"Leaving you with two useless females for heirs," Shadow commented.

A ghost of a smile crossed the king's face. "Quite." He opened the door and ushered us through it.

Shadow and I remained standing until the king sat and offered us chairs. I only sank into one after a quick glare from Shadow. I hadn't gotten in a decent run since getting on the stupid ship to get to Freesia, so sitting down was not in my top ten list of "Things I Wanna Do".

"Tell me," the king requested, placing his hands on his desk, "who told you that Amelia's groom is to be Sir Quarry?"

I glanced at Shadow, a bit worried. What the heck was he gonna say? "You did, Your Majesty. Just now."

Shift scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "Come now, do not spout such rubbish. You spend quite a bit of time with Quarry."

This was true, I regretfully admit. The creep had been searching us – me – out and would stick to us – me – like a leech. I couldn't help but wonder if Shadow's vocal cords hurt since he was using them so much more than normal.

"We find him an...interesting?" He looked to me for confirmation, so I nodded. What I really wanted was to shout that he was a friggin' perv that needed to keep the hell away from me and my friends! But I nodded. "Yes," Shadow continued, "an interesting individual."

The king did not appear to be convinced, which wasn't good. "I see. And yet–" There was a knock at the door. "Who is it?"

"Princess Allison, Your Majesty," replied a male voice. I think it was the...cheetah. See, Amy and Alley both had two permanent guards. Alley had a cheetah and a polar bear, while Amy had two of the latter.

"The interruption is fine, Your Majesty," Shadow stated.

"Hmm...You may enter."

The door opened and Alley stepped inside, head bowed, guards right behind her. "Father, I apologize for any disruption."

_(Shadow's POV)_

Allison looked up, not appearing to be surprised by our presence. My gut twisted into nasty knots as it did each time I saw her. I had hoped such a reaction would've faded over the days, but, no, I was not nearly so lucky.

"What is it, Allison?"

"I would like to go for a walk about the nearby city, Father. Perhaps, Sonic and Shadow would like to accompany me?" Her voice was hesitant for good reason, I'm sure. With a father like Shift even I would feel nervous when asking for things.

Shift, frowning deeply, drummed his fingers on the desk. "Would you?" he queried. "After all, you said a few minutes ago that you've not been outside the palace walls."

I looked at Sonic, but he gave no notice. He appeared to be...thinking. That could prove dangerous. My eyes met the king's. "If you see no harm in it, Your Majesty, we would be glad to go."

"There is none," he said, but his eyes flashed in annoyance. "The guards will accompany you for protection."

"You would insult me?" A chill went up my spine at the quiet voice, and I noticed Alley take a small step backwards. I recognized the voice, but I had never heard it go so cold. I had never even imagined Sonic could speak like that, nor had I known his eyes could go quite so flat and emotionless.

Shift's fingers stopped their tapping. "Pardon? Insult you?"

"Protection," he spat, and a spark of anger flashed in his eyes, quickly banked. "You insinuate that I associate myself with the weak."

Just what the hell did Sonic think he was doing?! I held my breath, watching for Shift's reaction. His lips curved slowly. "Then perhaps Alley is in need of protection from you and Shadow."

Sonic chuckled, and I became aware that it was a mixture between Eggman's, Quarry's, and Shift's laugh. But there was an extra twist in there that sent more shivers running through me. Something quite that vile coming from Sonic had to have taken quite a bit of practice. What could the blue fool be planning?

"If Princess Allison was what – or whom – I was interested in, perhaps she would need your guards surrounding her. As it is, I see no reason for her to have anyone with her but Shadow for... 'protection'."

"Only Shadow?" the king inquired. "You're not going, then?"

"No." My heart began to thump almost painfully. _Sonic, you bloody fool! What do you think you're doing?! _"You have important matters to discuss with me, Your Majesty."

"But-" Sonic sent me a scathing look that only silenced me because I had never seen such an evil sight come from him before. To suggest that such automatic silence was out of fear would be preposterous. It was only Sonic, after all.

The king smirked. "Yes, I suppose I do. Allison, your guards are to be left behind while you are about with Shadow. Understood?"

"Yes, father."

I stood, disguising my rage with a slight bow. Sonic – the fool – would never be able to keep such a vile persona about himself. Particularly on his own!

I walked down the hall with Allison after closing the door quietly, as her guards went the opposite way. "What is your friend thinking?" she inquired. "Tails told me to get _both_ of you out of my father's office! He never indicated that Sonic would relinquish an opportunity to run!"

I shook my head, careful not to look her way. "Damned if I know what that idiot is up to." I frowned as her words caught up to me. "He _did_ give up a chance to run, didn't he?" That was completely unlike him. Sonic _always_ wanted to run.

We made it to the stairs and I started up. "Perhaps Tails will let us know just what Sonic is doing..."

I started to run, lifting her into my arms to keep her from hurting herself as such a speed. I refused to register the warmth such contact brought and set her down immediately upon entering Tails's room.

He looked at us over his shoulder. "I've already pixelled you two leaving the palace."

"And Sonic?" Alley inquired. "What's he up to?"

"I'm not completely sure, but I'm having trouble believing he actually turned down the chance to run!"

"It's likely that he'll ruin our entire plan," I muttered.

Tails just sighed. "I know... Cream's going to get Knuckles and Rouge now, just in case. We'll all have to be ready to run if he messes up." He turned back to his computer and hit a few keys, bringing up a visual of Shift's office. "Thanks for putting a camera on the door, Alley."

"Oh, it wasn't any sort of trouble," she said, smiling.

Ignoring how pretty she looked when she smiled like that, I stepped closer to Tails and watched the scene unfold.

_

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_

That's right, y'all!

I'm leaving it there!

lol

I know, I know

It's mean and cruel, and how dare I? blah, blah, blah...

X3

And you wanna know what the really mean part is?

I'm moving next weekend and don't know when the computer is going to be set up, so it could be several weeks before I update next

X3

Yes, yes, I know you're mad at me, but I find it rather funny

lol

Besides, you greedy people have had, like, three updated chapters this past week!

I _deserve_ this break!

X3

Peace, love, and chicken grease!

Please review!

Byez!

P.S.

The POVs in the next chapter are those of Sonic and Tails

:3


	11. Change of Plans

_Chapter 10_

_Change of Plans_

_(Sonic's POV)_

Okay, so I'd managed to be alone with Shift. There. The easy part was done, completed successfully. But now came the tricky part: keeping this Eggman/Shift/Quarry persona intact.

"You wished to speak with me?" Shift inquired. "Without your, ah, bodyguard?"

I smirked. "Some things are best dealt with privately, Your Majesty."

"I see." He linked his fingers atop his desk and leaned forward, curiosity and interest passing over his features. "So, Sonic, just who are you interested in?"

"Princess Amelia." Geez, it was weird saying that out loud...

"Ah, of course. My sources have told me she would often track you down, begging you to marry her."

"Yes... Silly girl believed my media image." I smiled lightly. "And at that time, I thought of her as nothing more then a pest." Which was true, I gotta admit. "I have no interest in the weak, the foolish, or the powerless. For quite a time, I believed her to be all three. And while, in essence, she is, I have now discovered a use for Princess Amelia." Had I seriously just said that? Blech!

"Do you think so?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Yes, indeed. And it would also help your own social standing," I decided on the spot. I had to appeal to this guy to have everything go my way, and the best way I saw was to start guaranteeing this guy some power.

Shift smirked. "I am the sole ruler of an entire planet, Sonic. My social standing can not rise much higher than that."

"Not if you think on a small scale, of course."

"How so?" he said after a moment.

I smiled. This guy thought he was _so_ clever, letting me do all the talking. Heh. We'd see how long that lasted. "I would think a man such as yourself would already have the answer to that, Your Majesty." He looked very interested in what I was saying which was good and bad. Good 'cause it meant this might actually work. Bad 'cause I was starting to get a headache. I _never_ got headaches.

"Tow planets?" he murmured. When I nodded, his eyes lit with greed. Oh, yeah, I had him hooked. "But the people of your planet believe you are fighting to preserve their freedom. Would they truly allow you to rule them?"

"Not if they don't have a full understanding of what's happening. Already, I control over two-thirds of Mobian government and trade." That was a total lie, but who cares? "If this little side-trip hadn't seemed to be such a good investment, I wouldn't be here right now."

"Two-thirds, however impressive, is still not the whole."

_Oh crap...Umm...Think, Sonic! Think!_ "Perhaps I should've mentioned that the only remaining countries are small, third-world ones? In perhaps a single month, Mobius will be mine. As I said, had this trip not been deemed necessary, I wouldn't be here."

"Necessary and an investment? Please, explain why you've chosen those particular words."

I thought for a moment how to phrase this. It was going to be tricky to convince him to make things go my way. "I think on a large scale, Your Majesty. By becoming the visible ruler of one planet, those on another are much less likely to object when they are taken over."

My head was now aching to the point of distraction. I wanted out of there! "Your reign here on Freesia will continue once I return to Mobius, but you'll be more of an...advisor, rather than king."

"In short, you wish to marry Amelia in the stead of Quarry."

Now the pounding in my heart echoed the throb in my head. We were finally down to it. "Yes, exactly. And because no one knows who the current groom is, the switch will be an insignificant detail."

"What if I prefer leaving Quarry as the groom?"

My laugh was quiet and deadly – the production of the evil sound caused an extra stab of pain to explode in my head. "Quite simple, Quarry will suffer a rather...unfortunate accident."

Shift leaned back in his chair, studying me carefully. I wondered, over the pounding in my head, if he'd fallen for this annoying act of mine. "He shan't take this news well," he finally said.

"His feelings on the matter are none of my concern. My interests lay in the future, Your Majesty, of this planet as well as mine. Quarry is a fool who will drive this planet to ruin." That whole thing, at least, was the truth.

"And you won't?" Yeah, _I_ probably would. I couldn't rule a planet, geez...

"I am not a fool," I informed him. And I sure as heck wasn't! I was going to hand the crown over to Alley as soon as it was possible to do so.

"Then we have an agreement, Sonic the Hedgehog." He rose and I did the same. "In three weeks' time, you shall marry Amelia and a week later the crown will be passed to you."

He held out a hand and even though I recoiled internally, I grasped it with mine firmly so we could shake on it.

"Please inform Quarry of this change of plans, will you? Tell him I will speak with him on this matter on the 'morrow."

"Of course, Your Majesty." I bowed as Shadow had done earlier. "It's been a...pleasure," I lied, and walked out.

_(Tails's POV)_

My entire body felt numb with shock. "He's going to marry Amy..." I couldn't believe it. Sonic the Hedgehog was going to marry Amy Rose, aka Princess Amelia de la Rosa of the noble planet Freesia. It was...amazing!

Cream grabbed my hands, excitement emanating from her in waves. "We can go straight home!" she squealed.

Rouge smirked, leaning against the wall by the door. "I never knew the Blue Blur could act so well."

"I'll say," Knuckles muttered. "It was weird."

I couldn't stop the grin. "Yeah, but it was great!"

"However much of a fool he is, Sonic never ceases to amaze," Shadow admitted, shaking his head. "I was certain he was going to bungle this."

The door opened and closed with Sonic leaning against it, eyes closed. "Man, that was tough."

I'll bet it was, too. For someone as decent as Sonic, pretending to be the three most evil men we'd ever come across had to be a major mental strain.

Abruptly, Alley threw her arms around Sonic. "That was utterly magnificent of you! I would just love to see the look on Quarry's face once you tell him!"

His usual grin broke through. "Yeah, should be interesting."

No, it wasn't quite his usual grin...Something was wrong with it. I leaned back in my chair, studying Sonic carefully. Something behind his eyes caught my attention, and my own widened. Did Sonic have a _headache_? No way! Sonic didn't _get_ headaches! Only people with brain tumors or elevated stress levels got those!

"Alley, we should probably leave now," Shadow said. When I looked his way, his narrow-eyed focus was also on Sonic. I'm positive he saw the same thing I did.

Alley released Sonic and turned, smiling. "Yes, I suppose we should."

I faced my computer once again to ascertain the guard's locations. "Okay, it's clear," I said after a few seconds. Shadow scooped Alley up and I could swear I saw something almost like desire flickering in those red depths. But that was impossible, wasn't it? A moment later, he leapt out the window, and I quickly pixelled the two of them out of the security tapes.

While I did that, Rouge tossed Sonic a couple of aspirin. "You look like you could use these."

He dry-swallowed them with a sheepish smile. "Thanks, Rouge. I don't think talking to Quarry will be as bad though."

"Why's that?"

I spun in my chair at Knuckles questions, eager to see Sonic's reaction and hear his response to it. But I spun too fast and one of my tails tripped Cream up. To keep her from falling back, I grabbed her hand, but misjudged the force of my tug so that she toppled into my lap.

I could feel my blush just as easily as I could see Cream's. Sonic just laughed. "Smooth," he teased. "Hey, thanks for the pills, Rouge. See you guys later." He walked out just as something on my computer caught my eye. I helped Cream straighten before slapping on the headphones. "The king just sent someone to go and get Amy for him."

_

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_

All right, I lied

lol

I'm in the mood to type, so I got this next chap up today

But the next one, I swear you'll have to wait for

X3

Please review!

Byez!

P.S.

The POVs in the next chapter are those of Amy, Sonic, and Alley


	12. Joy and Jealousy

Dudes! I'm so sorry this took me so long!

X.X

Besides the trip to Tennessee, there's been a lot of stuff going on…

My best friend in the entire world (you know who you are) returned from the dead and captured my attention too thoroughly for me to get around to typing this up…

But here it finally is!

So don't go thinking I totally forgot about it

The POVS in this chapter are Amy, Sonic, and Alley.

* * *

_Chapter 11_

_Joy and Jealousy_

_(Amy's POV)_

The guard's footsteps echoed mine like thunder and my heart matched the tumultuous beat. He never called me for anything good – then or now – so I was really nervous. As we went down the hall towards my father's office, I wracked my brain for any reason why he may have been mad at me. I'd been doing my best to stay quiet and out of trouble. So what...

We halted and my breathing grew shallow. One of my guards knocked on the door. After a moment I heard, "Yes?"

"Princess Amelia is here, Your Majesty."

"Enter." The bear who'd knocked open the door, and I was practically shoved inside. "The guards will remain outside the door," my father murmured.

That wasn't good. What could I have possibly done to make him mad? The door was abruptly shut, and I was frightfully alone with him. "Sit down, Amelia." I did so quickly and unobtrusively, not wanting to anger him at all. "I have some news for you."

"Yes, Father?" This wasn't what I'd been expecting at all. Don't get me wrong, though; I was still scared. This just...wasn't what I'd been expecting.

"There has been a change of plans."

For along minute the only sounds were the steady clicking of my grandfather's old grandfather clock and the roaring of my own heartbeat. "How does that involve me, "I finally asked, unable to bear the creepy silence any longer.

He laughed, running a pen through his fingers. "It concerns your entire…future, Amelia."

I didn't understand what the emphasis on "future" was all about, but I did get the more obvious meeting. "Do you mean the wedding?"

"Yes, of course. And, more specifically, the groom."

The groom? Had something happened to Quarry? What… a change of plans! My father had said there'd been a change of plans! Was I not going to marry Quarry after all?

"That blue hedgehog, Sonic, and I had an interesting discussion earlier that brought several interesting things to light. Several rather interesting things." Him and Sonic? I silently repeated. But Sonic was supposed to stay quiet around my father!

"It would seem," Shift continued, "that Quarry is not one who will properly suit my purposes half as well as that particular hedgehog will. Why bring such impurities as a rat into this family, anyway?" he mused.

My father seemed almost to be talking to himself. He continued to run the pen through his fingers, but studied _it_ rather then _me_. Hope swelled inside my heart like a balloon. Had Sonic somehow managed to convince my father to let him marry me instead of Quarry? But why would Sonic have done that? _How_ could Sonic have done that?!

"So in the stead of Sir Quarry, you shall wed Sonic the Hedgehog. Have you any objections?"

"I…" No! I didn't have a single one! I _knew_ I could count on Sonic to figure something out! I wanted to get up and boogie all around the room, but that would've been really stupid. So I demurely bowed my head. "No, Father."

"I thought not." He swiveled his chair to peer out the wide window at his back. "You are excused, Amelia."

"Yes, Father." I stood quickly and left the room.

_(Sonic's POV)_

"What is it?"

I walked past Quarry and went into his room. "Manners, Quarry."

"_Sir_."

I looked over my shoulder. "There's no need to call me that." His fists clenched and his eyes flared with fury. Oh yeah, this was gonna be fun. "So how are you today, Quarry?"

"Quite well," he grounded out. "And you?"

"Much better, I think, then you will be in a few moments." _You're goin' down, rat!_ "The king let me in on a little secret a little while ago. As a matter of fact, we had quite a fascinating discussion."

"Get to the point, will you?" Now I knew something had to be going on that wasn't supposed to be going on. This guy had been sticking to me like glue and now he wanted me gone? It just didn't add up, and I'm pretty bad at math usually.

So I started roaming around the room, searching for anything that could make Quarry sweat. "Come now, Quarry, this is rather important."

I stopped next to a door and saw the rat blanche. It was quickly hidden, but I'd seen his reaction. "You seem nervous," I commented, feigning worry. "Is something the matter?"

"No!"

I opened the door and sucked in a breath. A young mouse-girl was tied to a chair and gagged. I recognized the child from roaming around the palace and was pretty sure she was a servant's daughter.

I went to the girl and untied her briskly, telling her to go to her mother and keep her mouth shut about my helping her. After all, I knew there was a law against women refusing a man's advances, but there was also a law against adultery. As far as Quarry knew, he was still engaged to marry Amy.

The girl stood once she was freed. "Thank you kindly," she whispered and fled, her pale blue eyes wide.

I glanced towards Quarry. "You do certainly like them young," I observed. _You sick freak…_

"It's perfectly legal." Geez, there was something seriously wrong with that planet.

"That may be, but adultery certainly isn't." I watched the anger melt off his face to be replaced by panic. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. I knew the moment King Shift informed me of your engagement to Princess Amelia that you were the improper choice." Replace "King Shift" with "Alley" and that statement would've been 100 percent true! "Giving into to such primitive sexual urges is so…weak. A planet cannot be properly run by a _weak_ king."

"The king would never have told _you_ about the engagement!"

I laughed that evil way that was so annoying to produce. "You do not know the king very well, Quarry, for one who has lived on this planet as long as you have. Perhaps that is why he was so very willing to replace you as the groom…for me."

"…Y-you?! You are going to wed Princess Amelia?! Preposterous!"

"No, it isn't. And the king will explain to you tomorrow."

His face had gone purple with rage. "You lying bastard! I don't believe you!"

"And I don't particularly care." I shrugged, turning to leave.

A bullet winged past my ear, piercing the wall beside the door. "I'll kill you before I allow you to become king!"

I looked over my shoulder, thinking of what he had done and what he had nearly done to Amy. "Try it. If you're really that stupid, try it."

_(Alley's POV)_

The wind rushed past, colors and sounds blurred. The sensation of going such a fast, smooth pace was not hampered by worry for my sister on this occasion, so I could now thoroughly enjoy it.

When Shadow stopped, I clung to his shoulders, laughing. "That was truly wonderful! How lucky you are to be able to experience that whenever you feel the urge!"

He said nothing and his eyes were shaded, but I was becoming used to that. I was also becoming used to his eyes never meeting mine, but it bothered me very much. Shadow looked _everyone_ in the eye, including my father. Was something so wrong with me that I could not earn the same respect as someone like my father?

During my musings, I noticed a snake leading a young female rabbit by the arm. The girl looked to be near tears. "Pardon me," I murmured, swinging from Shadow's arms to go towards the two. "Excuse me!" I called.

The girl looked immensely relieved, but the snake appeared furious by my intrusion. Justas well, I suppose. "Pardon, but I must speak with you immediately." I flashed a charming smile at the snake. "You don't mind, so you?"

It was very obvious that the snake did indeed mind, but he bowed respectfully. "Of course not, Your Highness."

"Oh, wonderful." I led the rabbit away, looping an affectionate arm around her waist. As we walked, I chatted gaily about some benefit ball I made up until we were out of the snake's earshot. "Are you all right, my dear?"

"Oh, my lady, thank you so much! That snake wouldn't leave me alone even after I told him I have a husband."

"And do you?"

"Duh! See, he and I decided to visit Freesia for the first time, and had no clue about that stupid law."

I glanced over her shoulder to see the snake walking away, grumbling to himself with annoyance, I imagine. "Where is it that you're staying?" I inquired.

"Oh, we're at…Oh my God, is that Shadow the Hedgehog?!"

"I…" The girl's eyes had gone quite wide and rather dreamily blurred. Mine narrowed as some foreign emotion trickled through me. It twisted my heart and shortened my breath. It was some sort of variation of anger, I was certain, but I had never felt it and could not give it a name. I only knew that it was quite a foolish thing to feel at the moment.

"Yes, that is him. Are you from Mobius, by any chance?"

"Sure am," she murmured.

Now he looked over, gaze sharp. "Then _what_ are you doing here?"

"My husband and I wanted a break. Sometimes Eggman's attacks can be _so_ overwhelming." Her eyes lost the admiration they directed at Shadow to be replaced by worry. "He isn't here, is he?"

Shadow shook his head. "He isn't."

I saw then that Shadow's eyes were on hers, and that anger-like emotion enveloped me once again. This girl could earn the treatment of an equal, yet I could not?

She put a hand to her chest and I became aware of her very obvious cleavage. "Oh, that's such a relief!" That dreamy look had returned to her eyes and I became quite tempted to call the snake back so he could drag her away.

But that was ridiculous. "You never said where you were staying, miss."

"The Pioneer Hotel, Your Highness." She addressed me, but her eyes – and the silly look in them – were all for Shadow.

I turned on my heel. "That's not very far. Come along."

**

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**

:3

If you're too stupid to have figured it out, the emotion Alley's experiencing is jealousy

lol

I originally had the rabbit-girl's part written out more intelligently, but I've got too many smart characters in this fic already, and, let's face it, there are some stupid people in the world.

So I added one into the fic!

lol

So the next chapter will have Sonic's, Amy's, Shadow's, and Alley's POVs

:3


	13. Meeting of Eyes

The POVs in this chap are Sonic, Amy, Shadow, Alley, and Shadow again. Enjoy!_

* * *

_

_Chapter 12_

_Meeting of Eyes_

_(Sonic's POV)_

I felt better then I had since leaving Mobius. Quarry was flat on his back, unconscious, with blood oozing from his nose and I didn't have a scratch on me. Had the guy seriously thought he could take _me_, Sonic the Hedgehog, down with a dagger? Ha!

I was whistling when I pushed open the door to Tails's room. This time he was the only one in there. "Hey, pal."

He turned his head and gave me a once-over. And then he sighed. "You beat him up, didn't you?"

"Self-defense," I cheerily claimed.

He sighed again. "Sonic, I saw that girl run out of his rooms. You provoked him into a fight."

My grin flashed. How could I deny it? "Of course I did!" Thoughtful, I crossed my arms. "Now I just need to get a good knock in Shift…"

Tails shook his head and turned back to his computer. "I think letting Alley be queen is injury enough and worth waiting for. And speaking of Shift, he called Amy into his rooms almost as soon as you'd left for Quarry's."

"What?!" My mood depleting, I moved closer to the computer. Maybe I thought it'd show me what happened to Amy just with wishful thinking. "He didn't hurt her or anything, did he?"

"Mm-mm." He shook his head. "No, he just threatened her some and told her just who she's marrying."

My mood returned, I grinned. "Yeah? Cool. Where is she?"

Now the fox rolled his eyes. "Her guards wanted a 'break' so they left her in her room a couple minutes ago."

"Great. Come get me if anyone comes that way." I went to the door and glanced back. "Hey, Shadow and Alley back yet?"

"No, and based on what I've been hearing from her guards they won't be back until long after dark."

"But it's Shadow."

"Yeah, but…" He trailed off, shook his head.

"C'mon, out with it."

"I'm not…totally positive, but I've gotten the distinct impression that Shadow's more than fine with spending time with Alley."

I blinked. That idea was way past crazy. "Riiiight…"

"I'm serious, Sonic."

Yeah, Tails must've flipped a gear or something. "I'll see you later, when you're feeling better."

"Riiiight…"

I chuckled and went down the hall to my room. The kid was such a smart-aleck when he wanted to be. I had taught him well. With a wry grin, I went into my room and flipped up the trap door.

_(Amy's POV)_

I sat on my bed with one foot tucked underneath myself and the other swinging impatiently as I stared at the holographic ceiling. It was good that Alley and I were the only ones able to see through it, but I pondered asking Tails to allow the group to see through as well. It could come in handy, after all.

When Sonic finally opened the trapdoor and jumped down, I used all my willpower to stay where I was. He grinned at me. "Hey, Ames. What's up?"

Forget willpower. I launched myself off of the bed and went directly into Sonic's arms. My heart felt ready to burst with love. "Oh, Sonikku!"

He laughed and wound his arms around me. "I just told Quarry."

I leaned back, beaming. "What'd he do?"

"And he didn't believe me, or that's what he said. Long story short, I ended up breaking his nose."

"Some guys get all the luck," I teased. "I wish I could've seen it."

"When Alley's queen we'll reenact the scene for you."

"Can I help?"

His lips briefly found mine. "You got it."

"Good." I leaned in for a kiss not nearly so brief that made my head swim. "Very good…"

_(Shadow's POV)_

What the devil had angered Allison so much? The silly rabbit wouldn't stop chattering, which annoyed me. I was certain that if she wasn't already married, she would be all over me, which made me rather uncomfortable.

To my great relief, we arrived at The Pioneer Hotel and the girl went quickly inside. Allison strolled away quickly without a word. I followed with a sigh. There was always something wrong with women…

"Allison."

She turned towards me. "Yes?"

I kept my eyes trained just over her head. "What's upset you?"

Sighing, Allison turned away again. "I'm not altogether certain, to be honest."

We walked in silence for several minutes before I asked her, "Why is it that you wish to become queen?" I had been wondering that for a while, and that seemed to be the most opportune moment to ask.

"Because this planet needs, these people need, to continue to have a good ruler."

I scoffed, certain I'd misheard her. "Continue?"

"Yes, Shadow! Exactly!" She twirled, suddenly passionate and all too royal. "Yes, there are laws that are outdated and need changed, and I _must_ be the one who changes them! I will be! This planet has been prosperous and peaceful for so long, an entire century! And that's been my family's doing. You must understand, Shadow, that even though my father is nothing as a father, he is almost everything as a king. As a ruler, I wish to match and surpass him and I will do everything to do so! Absolutely everything!"

Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes ablaze and fiery with emotional heat. She was breathtaking, and itched to touch her. It was really beginning to irritate me, this reaction I had towards her.

"I could do so much good as queen, Shadow!" She took several steps towards me, and my heart skipped uncomfortably. "Now I have a question for you."

We were entirely too close. My discomfort levels were rising far beyond what I would ever usually tolerate, so my confusion was also elevated. Just what about Allison kept me in this uncomfortable and confusing place? Perhaps, subconsciously, I was challenging my own self-control.

My internal pressure skyrocketed when she framed my face in her hands. Self-imposed challenge, be damned. I couldn't handle this foreign territory, and I don't mean the planet.

"Will you answer me honestly?" I nodded, but I wasn't entirely sure if I would be able to speak at all, let alone be truthful.

"Why don't you ever look me in the eye?"

Of all the questions…I couldn't answer it without seeming foolish. "I do."

"When?"

_When I forget that my brain halts whenever I do._ To my consternation, that's what nearly came out of my mouth. "On occasion," I amended.

"Shadow!" She crossed her arms and glowered at me. "I'm not blind, you know. Nor am I as oblivious or as sheltered as you seem to think I am. I notice things, and what I've noticed is that you _don't_ look me in the eye and you _don't_ treat me like you treat everyone else." She looked down and rubbed her arms. "I want to know if there's something wrong with me. Why don't you look me in the eye?"

"Allison…" I didn't know what to say to her; I didn't know what to do. I blew out a long breath. "There's nothing wrong with you. I apologize for making you feel as though there is."

_(Alley's POV)_

Hoping to catch him off guard, I turned my gaze on him. Our eyes met and his usually cool, guarded expression melted into something hot and real. It warmed me from the inside out with such quickness the cold wind that had been blowing now felt like flicks of flame.

My heart began to pound feverishly. Oh, dear. Oh deary, dear, dear. What could that possibly mean? What was happening?

A crowd bustled past, and I stumbled forward. Shadow's arms seemed to come around me almost automatically to keep me from falling, but when I looked up that heat was still in his eyes. "Oh my," I whispered, and before I knew it I was plastered against him, gripping tightly to his shoulders. Our mouths were locked together, fused by heat.

Fireworks began to go off in my head. I could feel each spark throughout my entire body. I could see each blaze of color when I closed my eyes. His hands clutched my hips, dragged my body so close no wind could get between us. My own arms somehow found their way around his neck. The feel of his body so close to mine was…

It was new yet familiar, frightening yet comfortable, dangerous yet completely safe. _Oh my_, I thought.

After what felt like hours, he drew away. I kept my hands on his shoulders, breathing slow, careful breaths. Lifting heavy lids, I saw that his eyes were dazed, glazed with surprise and desire. It amazed me that I could do that to him, that he could do so to me. I'd never thought of myself as attractive or desirable, but just then I felt like both.

_(Shadow's POV)_

Mistake. Mistake. Mistake. Mistake. Mistake. This had not just happened. This mind-numbing, planet-shattering kiss has not just occurred. For God's sake, this woman would be queen of an entire planet in little over a month! What had I been thinking?!

Which was exactly the problem, I realized. I hadn't been thinking. I, who never lost control, had lost control. My body had acted of its own accord and my stifled brain had been powerless to stop it.

So…now that I was thinking again, why wasn't I stepping back? Why wasn't I walking off as if nothing had happened? Why didn't it _feel_ as if nothing had happened?

"Shadow…what was that?" Her voice was no more then a whisper, but it sounded as loud as a sudden gun shot in my ear. Immediately afterwards, the everyday sounds began infiltrating my conscious once again: talking, shouting, music from a nearby music player, cars and their annoying horns, laughter, whining.

The step I took backwards was quick and one of self-preservation. I should not have kissed Allison on a public street – not to mention that I shouldn't have kissed her at all. I had probably just jeopardized the entire mission. Normally such goof-ups were entirely Sonic's fault, but now…! Wait, 'goof-up'? Good Lord, I must've been more brain damaged than I'd originally thought…

The next chaps POVs are Alley, Shadow, and Alley.

Please review!


	14. The Light Show

_Chapter 13_

_The Light Show_

_(Alley's POV)_

Walking alongside Shadow, I felt as if I were back at the palace, surrounded by those just waiting for me to make a mistake. It was very down-heartening because I _knew_ that Shadow had felt just what I had when we'd kissed. Yet he currently treated me as though I were nothing more then a stranger.

I heaved a sigh. "If you're going to pretend nothing happened, at least be courteous enough to tell me so."

He looked away, and I didn't comment on the fact that his gaze once more traveled over my head. That was a mistake I wasn't going to make again. No matter how much I actually wanted to…

"That…kiss was a mistake. I don't care to dwell on mistakes."

I bit my lip. "Even those you enjoy?"

He was silent for a while and we continued to walk. "The fact of the matter, Allison, is that enjoyment is not and can not be a factor. In a practical sense that…kiss may have done a great deal of damage to our current plans."

That I smiled at. "No, actually, it couldn't. You see, it's illegal for any photographs to be taken of anyone in my family. This is shared with each and every visitor who arrives on Freesia and is strictly enforced."

He looked at me again. "Tabloids."

I shook my head. "There's a law against those as well as concerns my family. Even word-of-mouth is censored."

Several more minutes of silence passed. I imagined myself leaping into his head and digging around in his thoughts. He was so very secretive…

"Do you plan on changing that?"

"Absolutely! Freedom of speech is so very important, don't you think?"

"Yes." I was a bit taken aback at that. It was the first time he'd given me an immediate response.

With no hesitation, I took his hand. "I'm glad." After a moment or two, I entwined our fingers. When I looked at him, I had to giggle softly. He wasn't looking my way at all and I could swear his cheeks were tinted red in an uncharacteristic blush.

_(Shadow's POV)_

_Later…_

I was twisted up inside with some indefinable emotion. The discomfort it brought with it could be blamed entirely on Allison. The girl kept helping people or she would take my hand to point out some breathtaking scenery.

Added to that, the kiss we'd shared was constantly in the forefront of my mind. While I knew doing so again would be even more of a mistake than the first had been, I felt the urge to hold her close each time she took my hand or laughed or threw out her hands saying, "Do you _see_ it, Shadow? Do you _see_?"

I let out a long sigh. This odd feeling, these annoying urges were a nuisance as well as a danger.

"Shadow!" Allison called. "Keep up with me, will you?"

She had stopped at the top of a hill to look over her shoulder at me. I was still at the bottom. "It's nearly dark and we must get to the Icewall Bridge in time!"

Yes, the Icewall Bridge. She'd been going on about it for the past half-hour. Something about it being the New Moon and the bridge being the best vantage point. To be honest, I had been dwelling on my own thoughts too much to truly listen to her.

To keep her from badgering me, I was at the bottom of the other side of the hill within a second, looking up at her. Her delighted giggles reached my ears and churned my battered system even more. "All right," she managed through them, "point taken."

I waited for her to join me…That is, for her to reach the bottom of the hill. I'd prefer you to not insinuate that I enjoyed walking with Allison because that isn't the least bit factual.

So.

As we walked, I kept wishing that night would arrive so we could return to the palace. I needed some time to be alone. When I caught myself studying her mouth, I scowled and quickly looked away. A cold shower was at the top of my list upon returning…

_(Alley's POV)_

I smiled when Shadow's eyes snapped straight ahead. I'd seen him eyeing my lips and was flattered and amused. He had so much control and the knowledge that I could shake him pleased me. I had never been able to do anything like that.

The bridge came into view and I grabbed Shadow's hand, pointed it out to him. "There it is, Shadow!" Keeping my hand in his, I began running towards it. "That bridge has the _best_ view of what I want you to see!"

Really, I had no idea if he would even care. But I did. Ever month I made certain to get out of the palace for the New Moon just for this. It was through pure luck that Father hadn't yet made the connection.

The sun hung so low in the sky I was worried that I would miss the beginning. As with most things, the beginning was the best part of this show. "Oh, no! We're going to miss the beginning!"

Shadow tugged from my grip and scooped me into his arms before I could protest the first action. "Oh!" I had no choice but to cling tightly to him as he suddenly shot towards the bridge at an incredible speed. Almost instantly he came to a halt directly at highest point of Icewall Bridge. I kept my arms around him and rested my head against his shoulder. "Thank you, Shadow."

"The sun's nearly down," he murmured.

"Yes." Suddenly, I really didn't care. I was perfectly content to remain in Shadow's arms indefinitely, and the fact that he had yet to set me down led me to believe that he wouldn't mind holding me.

I had never felt like this, so calm and quietly happy. There was something else that mixed with them and it overwhelmed, filling me from the inside out. It was warm and fuzzy and ballooned my heart to near-bursting. I rather liked it.

When Shadow set me on my feet, I stayed close, hugging him against me, I didn't want to lose that feeling.

_(Shadow's POV)_

My hands slid under her cloak and hooked loosely at her back. I only allowed this nearness to continue because the wind had picked up drastically atop the bridge. She could freeze, I reasoned, without a proper coat. I was merely offering body heat.

It was practical and had nothing to do with the odd blur I was experiencing. It was as if I had shifted out of reality and into a warm, fuzzy dreamworld of sorts.

The crowd on the bridge began a countdown and I stepped back. Dreamworlds weren't practical. "You'll miss it."

Her smile was full of feminine wisdom and secrets that I could never hope to define. "Impossible," she whispered.

"Eight…Seven…" Laughing, she turned and climbed on top of the bridge's railing. "Five…"

"Allison, what are you doing?"

She glanced back, beaming. "Just watch the sky!"

"Two…One!"

The sun finally disappeared, turning the world into a deep, black block of ice. Not a sound could be heard and not a sight was visible. It was as if everyone had taken a deep breath in unison and was holding it.

My eyes darted around uselessly. It was incredibly eerie, such blackness. I would never be able to see if Allison fell off the railing. Stupid female had no business…

I couldn't finish the thought; there was an explosion. Or that's what it seemed like. Several people – including myself, I'll admit – gasped. One second it had been pitch black and the next color streaked across the sky, illuminating everything.

Spears of multi-colored lightning struck the ground, yet no one but tourists seemed frightened. Indeed, several of the natives would reach their hands out to touch it, including Allison. I watched her cling to the light pole she stood next to with one hand, and swing herself over the edge to grab a red shaft.

I held my breath, but it wasn't out of fear. I will admit – however much it pains me, however foolish I sound – that I was awestruck. Her face was more alive than I had ever seen it. Her eyes were sparkling, the usually calm blue was electric. Her cheeks were red – looking back now I'd say that was from the red light she was grabbing – and a jubilant laugh played at her smiling lips.

She swung back and in her palm was a ball of red light. As I looked at it, the ball morphed itself into a small heart and shot off of Allison's hand to explode like a tiny, harmless firework.

"Do you _see_, Shadow?" She released the light pole and through out her hands. "Do you _see_?"

I did see, but I doubt I saw what she wanted me to. I saw that I was in love with a princess. I, Shadow the Hedgehog, had just lost my heart to someone I could never have…Yet, at that moment, I didn't care.

Before common sense could be restored, I grabbed her hand and tugged. With a yelp, she tumbled off the rail and into my arms, and I kissed her before she could right herself.

I swallowed her gasp and relished the feel of her so close. And even as I let everything inside of me pour into this kiss, I promised myself that it would never happen again. It should be simple enough to avoid being alone with her, after all.

Then her arms wrapped around me and my planning ended. Good God, she couldn't get any closer, taste any better. The kiss deepened and I was vaguely certain that, just as that red light, I was going to explode. This was too much to handle. _She_ was too much to handle during such an emotional overload.

I drew back before I could completely lose my head. Allison took a step back and slowly slid her hands down my arms to entwine our fingers. The shiver I felt had nothing to do with the chilly night air. Her eyes were just as bright as before – how odd that I could look into them now – and glittered with tears.

"Allison–" A bolt of white light shot between us and struck our joined hands. A strange tingling, not unlike the sensation of Chaos Control, coursed through me. And then Allison laughed and threw her arms around me.

It was too much t handle. There was too much emotion, too much contact, too much _life_ bombarding me all at once. I held her tightly for several long, torturous minutes, knowing I needed to get away from her if I wanted to stay whole.

Finally I drew back and away, fisting my trembling hands at my sides. "We should return to the palace."

"Just one more minute," she pleaded, and spun away before I could argue. She unhooked the ruby from the clasp of her cloak and climbed onto the railing once more. I watched her hold the jewel into the air and twin spears of light – one red and the other pink – spiraled down and surged inside the gem. There was suddenly a pulse that only she and I seemed to feel.

Allison fell back and I caught her automatically. She smiled. "All right, let's go."

* * *

Next chapter POV goes to Rouge and only Rouge!

That's right, I've got some more Knuxouge comin' up!

:3

Review if you love me! ...or, if you don't, review anyway!


	15. Next Time

Dude, I really wish my updates could be less random.

lol

But at least I'm updating, right?

X3

So the POV on this chap is all Rouge

Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 14_

_Next Time_

_(Rouge's POV)_

I slipped into Shadow's room, a bit surprised to see him pacing. When Shadow needed to think he stood still and stared at the sky or out a window or he ran. Shadow the Hedgehog did not pace. Then again, Sonic the Hedgehog never got headaches and he'd been getting those nearly everyday. And Shadow had been pacing everyday since going about the outer city alone with Alley. I was therefore inclined to believe that this…new habit was all the princess's fault.

I hopped onto his bed and stretched out. "Two weeks down, three to go," I prompted.

He went to the window and stared out. "Yes."

"Then we're free," I continued. He only nodded, and I scowled. I could probably get more information out of a wall. "We'll come back again, I'm sure. To see Alley."

And hello, reaction. Shadow pressed a hand against the window, tilted his head and stared at the floor. "Do you think so?"

"Of course. She's Amy's sister, after all. And I rather like her." I laughed softly. "She's a bit of a cross between Amy and Cream."

The hand on the window curled into a fist. "She should be annoying."

"You would think so, wouldn't you?" How interesting…

He didn't respond; I pouted a bit. It was a sexy, feminine pout, of course. I wasn't about to settle for anything less.

Hmm…I suppose that's off-topic, but it's very true.

Well, anyway, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood. There were certain cases with whom brusqueness worked best. This was definitely one of those people.

"Shadow, are you in love with Alley?"

"I…" He dropped his hand, linked it with the other behind his back. "It's possible, I suppose."

I lifted a brow. He'd hesitated. Let me say that again: Shadow had just hesitated. Just what sort of spell had Alley cast on him?

"I believe I asked a 'yes' or a 'no' question." I glided smoothly in his direction. (If he thought he loved her, I was sure I could talk him out of it.)

I waited a minute. "Well?"

His hand lifted to the glass once again. "Nothing can come of it, Rouge, so it doesn't matter."

"Shadow…" Now this was something I hadn't been expecting – this sadness in his voice. What could I say to that? "I'm sorry I brought it up," I murmured.

He glanced back at me and even his eyes were sad. At least when he'd been pacing he'd looked thoughtful or frustrated. "It's fine, Rouge."

I put my hand on his shoulder. "You know there's no law against you staying on Freesia." I was pretty certain of that one.

"I know that, but…" He shook his head. "What did you come in here for?"

I really wanted to press him for more information – I had/have a knack for interrogation, after all – but I actually had some respect for Shadow. So if he didn't want to talk about it, I wasn't going to force it out of him. "Tails wanted me to warn you that a tailor is coming up here to get our measurements. Apparently, a royal ball is being held tonight and we must be clothed appropriately. Or something to that effect."

"Humph. Should be interesting."

"Oh, really?" I never would've pegged Shadow for a fan of all the pomp and circumstance that royalty entailed.

"Yes, of course. The king still distrusts us. He's sure to try something, some sort of test."

"Hmm…" I hadn't thought of that. "Then you're right, this could be _very_ interesting." I smirked and walked to the door. "See you," I called back.

I strolled down the hall towards my room with every intention of going directly into it. I didn't _have_ to tell Knuckles about the tailor Tails had asked me to and I'd agreed, but it wasn't a binding contract or anything.

Nevertheless, I found myself standing in front of Knucklehead's room. I berated myself for it, but reached for the knob.

"Rouge."

The sudden voice startled me enough so that I nearly jumped out of my skin. But I was – am – a trained government agent and a famous, _calm_ treasure hunter. I turned my _calm_ gaze on Knuckles as he walked up. "Knuckles."

He rolled his eyes as he opened the door, nudging me through. "Tails just told me about that ball tonight."

"Oh? Well, that's handy." I turned around to go right back out. Since he already knew what I was here to tell him, there was no reason for us to be alone together.

"Hang on, it would seem strange if you left that quickly."

"Tails can just digitally fix it. He's done it before."

"Why make him do what he doesn't have to?"

"What in the…" I whirled around, furious, but quickly trailed off. When had Knuckles gotten so close? I should've noticed something like that. Government agent! Treasure hunter! To be either one of those one had to be aware of one's environment at all times. How had Knuckles thrown that out of balance?

"You've been avoiding me," he murmured, bringing his hands up to cage me against the door. My heart shot into my throat, baffling me.

"You can't prove that," I managed, and then wanted to groan for embarrassment. I sounded like a child…

But I really couldn't think of anything to say. He was just _right there_! A little crooked smirk on his face that should've pissed me off. Instead, I pressed my hands against the door in the foolish hope that it would magically slide open.

Yet I knew that it wouldn't, just as I knew Knuckles was about to kiss me. He hands skimmed down my arms to envelope my hands in his, and I though, _Here it comes._ I also thought I was prepared for it.

He leaned forward and touched his lips to my cheek.

At the brush of his open mouth on my skin, my hands fisted tightly in his. Prepared? Well, so much for that. At that light touch my eyes went blow and low, turbulent waves of sensation swept through me, threatening to drown me. Something seemed to ripple along my skin, though he never touched me – juts his hands over mine, just his lips on my cheek.

Slowly, our eyes locked, he journeyed to my other cheek, his lips moving with the same feather-lightness. I felt those waves rising until there were echoes in my head, soft sounds that I couldn't possibly be making thundering with each wave's crash. I heard a soft moan and couldn't have said if it was mine. As hunger took a crashing sweep, I turned my mouth toward his, but he glided up, whispering his mouth over my eyelids so that they fluttered down.

Drugged, I allowed him to roam over my face, leaving my lips trembling with anticipation, yet unfulfilled. I tasted his breath on them, felt the warm flutter as they passed close, but his mouth settled on the corners, giving me just a tease of his tongue.

My fingers went limp in his hands. I felt something foreign, pliant, as those light pressures continued. This…It couldn't have been surrender? I never gave in like this, though. But even as I thought those things, the will to fight had left me. The desire for that will had turned tail and ran as well, drowning itself in the waves I still felt.

His teeth nipped at the base of my ear, and I couldn't suppress the shudder. Slowly, he brushed those kisses across my temple and over my brow on his way to the other ear. He nibbled gently, sliding his tongue over my pelt until another moan was heard. This one I knew came from me.

But still, he avoided my mouth, pressing his lips to the throbbing pulse in my throat. I knew my pulse – like my breath – was jerky. I couldn't control it any more than I could him.

"Knuckles." My voice was low, throaty. I couldn't control that either. "Kiss me."

Softly, he pressed his mouth to my shoulder. "I am."

My mouth felt as though it were on fire. I had thought I'd understood hunger, having felt more then my share in the past. But I'd never known a desperate hunger such as this. For the first time in my life, I was prepared – even willing – to beg. "No, really kiss me."

"Next time," he whispered. In a slick move I wasn't expecting, he slid around me and went out the door, leaving me stunned and wanting.

I don't know how long I stood there before I recalled that I wasn't in my room and that I could use my legs to take me there.

* * *

Review, please!

:3

The next chaps POVs are Sonic, Sonic, and Sonic.

Hooray!


	16. Worry, Worry

Once again... A totally random update. lol When will they end?!

...Never, most likely...

But oh well!

Randomness is kin to amazingness!

The POV for this chap is Sonic!

* * *

_Chapter 15_

_Worry, Worry_

_(Sonic's POV)_

I burst into the fox's room, slamming the door behind me. "Did you know that balls involve _dancing_?!"

Tails just rolled his eyes. "No, Sonic, I was not aware of that obvious fact at all."

"Then what–" I broke off, narrowed my eyes. "Smart aleck."

"Guilty." He grabbed a pair of black shoes from off the desk and tossed one of the shoes to me. "Try it on. I've inserted a chip that should help with that problem."

"Yeah, but I need–"

"Shoes you can run in," he finished. "I know. Don't worry about that, Sonic. These are definitely friction resistant. They won't catch fire if Shift tries something."

"You mean if Shift tells Quarry to do something." I tugged off one of my shoes and shoved the black one on. "Okay, it fits. So how is a shoe gonna help me, anyway? I. Don't. Dance."

"All you have to do is a press a button on a remote that'll be in your pocket. The shoes will do the rest." Tails held out a small remote control. "Put your regular shoe back on and toss me the other one."

I did so quickly, eager to see this. Tails's inventions had always been cool. He pressed a button that said "WALTZ" on it and the shoes began doing this weird dance step of their own accord.

"It's called the box step," Tails explained. "The main portion to a waltz, which (according to Alley) is the dance of choice at these balls. But I've got these shoes set up to do more than that."

I grinned. "I'm real glad you're here, pal."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I know. And I guess Amy can show you where to put your hands."

"Uh…right…" Oh, man, that should be interesting… I figured I would have to dance at least once with her, but it would be a pain to be that close without kissing her. Doing that – even more than just the dancing part – was going to be really hard and really worried me. Kissing her on the dance floor tonight would be the biggest mistake of mine and everyone else's lives.

"Alley's going to let me know when the longest song comes up, and that's when you'll dance with Amy."

The…longest song? _Longest_?! "Just how long we talkin' here, Tails?"

He shrugged. "About ten minutes or so, give or take." Oh, boy… I hoped to God that it was give. I could never last that long without kissing her…

Tails scowled. "Don't look like that, Sonic. You're going to marry her, for crying out loud. You can stand to be near her for ten minutes."

I sighed. "No, it's not that…I actually like…like talking to her and stuff. It's just…" I ran a hand through my quills. I had always sucked at getting people to understand the important stuff. If Amy was here she would've been able to translate. I smiled softly. That was something new I'd realized: Amy understood me.

"You're not marrying her just so we can get back home, are you, Sonic?"

And Tails understood me too. Man, it paid/pays to have awesome friends. "No way. Tails, I really – Oomph!" The door had swung open and struck me. I stumbled forward and bit and Tails used that moment to turn off and put away the shoes as well as hide his laptop under his pillow.

"Oh, dear! All me apologies, sir!" The same British mouse who had taken Amy's measurements on that first night stood in the doorway, a nervous hand over her mouth. My eyes cooled – I think it was becoming automatic – as she stuttered her apologies.

"It isn't a problem," I murmured. "But do not let it happen again." Just out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tails shudder. I didn't blame him. As creepy it was to produce this evil tyrant persona, it must have been ten times as worse to see it.

The mouse cast her eyes downward. "I'll try, Mr. Hedgehog. Really, I will."

"Good." I tried to walk past her, but she blocked my path. Her mouth trembled open and her eyes teared up, and I thought, _Uh-oh. What's wrong with her?_

"Thank you so very much for saving my daughter."

Tails and I both gasped, unable to contain ourselves. I mean, this mouse was a total bubblehead. If her daughter was the one I'd gotten out of Quarry's room however many chapters back, she could get us in some huge trouble.

"My daughter and I have agreed to keep this quiet, but I felt I had to thank you. She and I truly wish that Princess Amelia be free from this planet. She and her sister do not deserve the treatment they receive. I beg of you, is that what you're planning?"

Her accent had changed during that speech. Only a little bit, but I wondered… Uneasy, I glanced back at Tails. _What do I say?_

He only shrugged, so I looked back at the mouse.

"Oh, how wonderful!" she exclaimed. "I can see the answer in your face! Now, if you don't mind I'd like to get to work." Smiling widely, she looped a tape measurer around my waist.

When Tails snickered at my discomfort, I glared at him. "You're next, _pal_!"

**Later…**

Knuckles huffed out a breath. "This sucks."

Alley laughed softly, straightening out Knuckles's tie. She'd already fixed mine and it wasn't half as uncomfortable as I'd been expecting. I figured that it had something to do with the way she'd tied it, but who cared? All that mattered to me was that I didn't feel as if I was choking to death.

"Don't worry, Knuckles. It shouldn't be very long that you must wear this. You and Rouge are expected to leave early, after all."

I snickered when he blushed. The guy could be such a dork about stuff.

Tails came in then, Shadow right behind him. When the hedgehog noticed Alley's presence, I swear the air seemed to crackle with electricity. I'd noticed a variation of that – sizzling heat – when Rouge and Knuckles were in the same room. And in Tails and Cream's case there was a warm buzz in the air. Kind of a weird thing to notice, but okay. I'm sure it meant something…Oh, well. Whatever.

"Sonic, did you hear me?"

I looked directly at Tails. "Nope."

He sighed. "Just keep the trap covered from here on out, all right?"

"I can do that."

"Humph. Hopefully."

I couldn't completely stop the grin. "Shut up, Shadow."

He rolled his eyes and walked out, but I saw him cast a final glance in Alley's direction. And either it was my imagination or a trick of the light, but I was pretty sure there was something like…longing in that look.

While I pondered that, Tails took Alley down through the floor to her room. Amy had been taken somewhere about an hour ago to be prepared and crap. Alley had told us that just meant they were getting her dressed and making sure so many years on Mobius hadn't dulled her etiquette.

Suddenly, Tails shot up and I heard the door below slam open. "Princess Allison, you are required in the ballroom at this time. Guests will be arriving shortly."

"Yes, of course. One minute, please." Tails, Knuckles, and I watched Alley rush over to a bureau and open several drawers and stuff. With a speed even I had to admire she'd used make-up or magic to transform her face into some drop-dead gorgeous work of art.

Teardrop rubies hung from her ears and a matching necklace, studded with diamonds, adorned her neck. A fat ruby the size of a baby's fist nestled itself between her breasts. I let out a low whistle. If normal, plain, beautiful Alley created electricity between her and Shadow, not normal, not plain, and more than beautiful Princess Allison was going to cause a power overload.

When she and the guards disappeared out the door, I covered up the hole and vent. A new thought struck me suddenly and I swallowed. If Amy looked half that good I was a dead man.

"I wonder what Shadow'll do when he sees her," Tails commented.

Knuckles looked pretty clueless at that implication, but I doubled over with laughter. That would be the most entertaining part of the night! There was no doubt about that!

The door opened ad I snapped straight, fiddling nonchalantly (yeah, I know some big words) with my…um…whatever it was called. Yeah, cufflink!

So, anyway, Tails looked at his feet; Knuckles folded his arms and shifted to stand at my other side. Bodyguard, I guess. I just lifted a brow at the sight of the guards who had burst in.

"Do you have a personal dislike of knocking?" I inquired.

* * *

Okay, so it's shorter than I'd thought...

Review anyway!

The next POVs are Knuckles and Tails.

Poor Tails hasn't had enough of his view expressed. Then again, neither has Cream... And her POV doesn't come up until chapter...

(flips through a notebook)

Oh. Forget I said anything about Cream... (sweatdrop)


	17. The Pick Up

Okay, I admit it, I'm updating so often now because I've become addicted to reviews

X3

Today's chapter is brought to you by the the letter Q! Because I like Q.

The POVs are Knuckles and Tails.

* * *

_Chapter 16_

_The Pick-Up_

_(Knuckles's POV)_

Seeing Sonic's eyes go cold and lifeless freaked me out. And his voice… Even _that_ was dripping with evil. The only time I'd seen this transformation was on camera; it didn't even compare with this.

Tails sent me a look, but it did nothing to calm me down. This was just too weird.

The guards bowed their heads. "Our apologies, sir."

"Pardon!" we heard, and Flurry stepped between the guards. "Your services are required in the ballroom immediately. I will take over from here.

"Of course, Madame." Bowing fully, they walked away.

I didn't waste any time to turn and gape at Sonic. "What the hell_ was_ that?!"

He shrugged. "Something I really hate doing."

"It was _weird_!"

"Thanks for that, Knucklehead."

I would've retorted, but Flurry came up and stood between us. "S'il vous plaît, this is no time for squabbling! We must go quickly."

Tails flew overhead – "She's right. There's so such thing as 'fashionably late' here!" – and out the door.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I muttered, following him down the hall.

Flurry caught up with us, Sonic at her side. "We will retrieve Rouge first," she said and then turned a smile in my direction. "Are you aware that in English her name means 'red'?"

I managed not to trip over my own feet – yeah, surprised me too – and just nodded. "Yeah, I knew that." I actually hadn't had any idea, but I wasn't about to look stupid.

Especially when Sonic scoffed. "_Everybody_ knows that."

Right…Everybody.

We stopped at Rouge's door and Flurry knocked. "Mademoiselle?"

"Just a minute!" she called.

I groaned and turned away. "We might as well go get everyone else, as long as she'll take."

"You never know," Tails advised. "She may…oh, wow."

I glanced back and early swallowed my tongue. Rouge was leaning against the doorjamb nonchalantly, but man, oh man, she looked gorgeous. Her eye shadow was a dark shade of purple, the same color as the column of silk pretending to be a dress. The angle she stood at – that cocked hip stance of hers – showed off a long slit that skimmed well up her thigh. White gloves went up to her elbows and she had her arms crossed, pushing her breasts up in the sleeveless gown that left her shoulders bare. A glittery amethyst graced her neck and the silver hoops at her ears added an exotic flair.

I'd never heard Tails use an understatement until that moment. "Wow" didn't even begin to describe the effect she made.

She smirked. "See something you like, Knucklehead?"

I quickly turned away to hide the blush because, damn it, I_ did_ see something I liked and that was the problem. This fake relationship was going to be tough to forget about when we got back home.

"We should go get Cream and Shadow," I muttered.

_(Tails's POV)_

I shook my head. Poor Knuckles…

"Oh! I almost forgot!"

"Forgot what?" Sonic queried.

"I can't do anything with the cameras," I whispered. "I have to CGI all of this right now. And, from here on out, we all have to do some acting."

"You should all get ze – what is it? – ze Academy Award for what you have been doing," Flurry praised.

Sonic dipped his hands in his – gasp! – pockets. "Getting' home is all I want."

"Yeah, I'll say." That would be reward enough for all of us. "Listen, just go get Cream and Shadow. Then come get me; I should be done by then. Just start faking everything now."

They all agreed and I sped down the hall, tails spinning madly. When I got into my room, I quickly set up my laptop and got to work. It would be a sloppy job, I knew, but I also knew that security wasn't going to very tight for tonight's event. That struck me as odd. I mean, come on! A ball with guests from all around the planet was bound to attract more then one thief or kidnapper or something potentially worse.

Security should be _tightened_ for an event like this! Not slackened! I was certain that King Shift and Sir Quarry had something planned… Amy and Alley were going to be put in danger – I just knew it!

There was a soft knock at the door. "Monsieur Prower, you are ready?"

It was Flurry. I hit a button on my laptop's console and transformed it into a watch base once again. "Coming," I said, fitting the base back onto the wrist band.

When I opened them again, I gave 'em all the once-over. Sonic had the eerie look on his face, as if he owned us. I shuddered inwardly. It just didn't fit the Sonic I knew.

Shadow…Well, there was nothing different there. His arms were crossed and he was frowning, a guarded light in his eyes.

Rouge, however, clung to Knuckles's arm as if she would never let go. But there was a dare in her eyes that I was used to.

Knuckles – hey! Kudos to him! There was no sign of the discomfort I was sure he had to be feeling with Rouge so close. His eyes were unusually like Shadow's in their expression. I was pretty impressed, having expected trouble in that area. I mean, let's face it, Knuckles isn't the most calculated and mysterious individual.

And, finally, Cream. The faded orange of her dress was the same shade as always, but her simple little dress had graduated to a clingy velveteen material. Her shoulders were bare but for two thin straps that – as I saw soon enough – criss-crossed over her back. The rest of her dress flowed in straight lines to her waist where it tapered off into a flowing, wispy skirt. Her gloves went to her elbows and were adorned with a set of softly jingling gold bracelets. Her shoes were white, strappy heels. Vaguely, I wondered how anyone could walk in them.

These observations took hardly then a second before I stepped fully out of my room and shut the door. Sonic gave me a hint of a nod, and I returned it before offering Cream my arm. I allowed myself to smile at her because the two of us were really just background players. The king, believing me to just have limited mechanical skills, had paid me no mind and Cream was just seen as…arm candy, I think the expression is.

She smiled back and the group of us were off to – ha, ha – face the music.

* * *

Today's ending was also brought to you by the letter R. Or was it Q? Oh, well! It's been brought!

The next chapter's POVs are those of Shadow, Sonic, Knuckles, and Rouge.


	18. Too Good

Okay, this is an emotional chapter...

And, for a quick spoiler, I decided to add a little self-insertion to really make this chapter - specifically Knuckles's and Rouge's relationship - move along.

It's temporary, of course. I think just the next chapter and that's it.

The POVs are Shadow, Sonic, Knuckles, and Rouge

_

* * *

_

Chapter 17

_Too Good_

_(Shadow's POV)_

A lot of silly overindulgence. That's all this _ball_ was. Honestly, why would anyone need an ice sculpture of their own home in the center of a table? And surrounding the oversized block of ice were plates of inedible foods.

The room was large, with an orchestra set up at the far end. They currently played something slow and quiet, their instruments crooning to the group currently on the dance floor. Jewels winked at ears, throats, lapels, and cufflinks. Diamonds to emeralds to sapphires to rubies to I-don't-know-nor-care-what-else. It was ridiculous and pompous. So many people showing off and flaunting their wealth to everyone who came within inches of them. It was a disgusting display.

I could feel my annoyance building degree by degree and ignored the nerves that came along with it. I didn't want to dance with Allison. I didn't want to be near her, have my hands on her…

"All right, the only cameras in this room are directed only around the seating areas. So unless Shift's got his eye on you, relax."

Relax? I scowled. Surely the fox was joking. In our current situation such a concept was incredibly dangerous. Not to mention…My eyes widened. Was that Allison?

I heard a snort of laughter and quickly composed myself, mortified to note that my jaw had dropped. I sent my most vicious glare Sonic's way, but he only grinned. "Idiot," I muttered, directing the insult to myself as much as him.

Carefully in control of myself, I looked back at the creature that could possibly be Allison. She – this vision – was sitting on Shift's left, a bejeweled crown atop her head. Rubies winked and flashed at her ears and throat, shooting like fire each time she shifted the slightest bit. The ruby she habitually wore on her cloak – the one she had held up to the lights the previous week – was pinned to the bodice of her dress and seemed to outshine every other gem in the room.

Then I realized where my eyes had trailed and quickly looked at her face again. She looked up just then and our eyes locked.

No, I thought, relaxation is certainly not an option.

Behind me, someone gasped. Grateful for the distraction, I glanced behind me to see Sonic's eyes had gone very wide, and it was his jaw currently hanging towards the floor. I followed his gaze to see that he had caught sight of the princess on Shift's right.

I smirked. Now who looked like a fool?

_(Sonic's POV)_

Oh. My. God. I was a dead man. We were never going to make it home if I had to dance with _that_ for ten minutes! I didn't know what they'd done, but Amy Rose had been morphed into Princess Amelia de la Rosa of blah, blah, blah.

Her bejeweled crown was slightly tilted to the side and her gown was a sheer, dazzling white - duh - that tended to cling with its nipped in waist. Over that was a slim belt, dotted with bright green emeralds. But then the skirt seemed to swirl out and flow around legs she had crossed at the knee. One foot, clad in heels that probably hurt like hell, jiggled almost impatiently.

She had emeralds winking at her ears and a fat, teardrop jewel nestled comfortably between her breasts. Swallowing hard, I went back to her face. Her lips were slick and red – I could tell that all the way across the room – and pouting. The sudden, overwhelming urge to kiss her made me twitch somewhat.

But then I saw her eyes. She may have looked like a princess – and, boy, did she ever – but those eyes of hers were nothing but miserable. I couldn't blame her for that. If things were different, I was sure Amy would be roaming about the room, greeting everyone, smiling, laughing. Instead, she was stuck at her vile father's side, sitting on a huge throne that made her seem very small and fragile.

So I waited, albeit impatiently, for her to look my way. When she finally did, I winked. Her eyes immediately lit with something a lot happier than misery and I grinned. I could do this; I could dance with her. I had to, or else we were never gonna make it home, and I probably wouldn't see those eyes of hers light up like that very often.

"Sonic? No way!" A chill ran up my spine. Oh, no…

I turned, keeping my expression blank until I saw who had called my name. My eyes widened in surprise when I saw the aqua hedgecat dragging a golden-furred dog behind her. What the heck was _she_ doing here?

"Star?"

She threw her hands out, beaming. I took her hands and just studied her. A notebook was tucked into part-time journalist and full-time writer's lilac belt, and a pencil was tucked behind each of her ears. Normally the self-proclaimed "tomboi" was more than happy to be in her jeans and vest, but now she was dressed pretty snazzy. The dress was a short one, the color of apricots. Her shoes, slide-on flats were the same color as her belt and the collar around her neck. I guess I should call it a necklace, but it was a strip of lace or something that could only be called a collar. The heart-shaped locket she never took off hung from the collar like a license, and the proprietary arm the dog had slid around her waist made it seem like he was the owner.

A Mobian? I wondered. Or a Freesian?

"What are you doing here?" I asked, giving her hands a friendly squeeze.

"There's just a rumor going around that you guys shot off to Freesia because Amy's an actual princess. Obviously, that much is true," she added, looking in Amy's direction. Her gaze turned back to me, and with him came a sharp, knowing gaze. "But I _know_ that's not all there is to it."

"Um…well…ah…"

"Star!" I let out a relieved sigh when Knuckles came up, saving me from responding.

She instantly released my hands and threw her arms around Knuckles, grinning widely. "Hey, Knuckles!" She pressed her lips to his for a smacking kiss.

"Sonic," Tails muttered, "let's go. The song's coming on. Just go with Shadow; he knows what to do."

I cast a glance in Amy's direction and saw her attention was split between me and the orchestra. "Uh, right…"

_(Knuckles's POV)_

"What are you doing up here?" I asked, thrilled to see the hedgecat.

Her head fell back on a laugh loud enough to turn several heads, but I wasn't paying attention to our cover anymore. Heck, seeing that bright spot from home had me forgetting all about our plans. "Like you haven't asked me that before!" she teased.

I grinned. That was a fact. The first time I'd met her she'd been up on Angel Island, writing her first novel. I'm not completely sure why anymore, but I'd been certain she'd been spying on me. But a sudden weather change had kept her up on the island long enough for me to get to know her and read her work in progress. In those few hours I'd managed to get hooked on both the novel and her vivacious, if sometimes shy, personality.

Now that novel was on the bestseller's list, she was nearly done with her second, and she and I were damned close friends.

"So answer the question, Star. What're you here for?"

"Oh, the editor at _Station Square Times_ asked me to get the scoop, find out what's going on up here." She jerked her head towards the dog at her side. He was glaring daggers at me, but I just smirked and pressed Star closer. "This here's Comet the Mutt," she said, stifling a giggle. "He's my camera guy, but since no cameras are allowed at any of these functions…" Star trailed off, shrugged. "No big deal, I guess."

Suddenly I realized that Star was a lone female on a planet where rape didn't exist. My tight grip on her was one of worry, rather than happiness to see her. "Stay close to him," I ordered, "and if anybody asks you two are a couple. Got that?"

She looked a bit surprised and the golden mutt with spiky green hair looked astounded. "Huh?" he managed.

But Star nodded. "I knew there was something big going on here. Did Tails manage to sneak in a computer?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but–" I hissed out a breath when Rouge elbowed me in the ribs.

"The king's turning this way, Knucklehead."

As quickly and nonchalantly as possible, I released Star and slid my arm around the bat's waist. Eyes narrowed, the hedgecat looked between the two of us. "What the hell is going on?"

"Just what is that supposed to mean?" Rouge snapped, lookin' really pissed.

Star lifted a brow. "Usually the only reason you're within two feet of Knuckles is to snatch the Master Emerald. Trying to get a hold of some other type of jewels?"

_(Rouge's POV)_

I folded my arms, angling my chin. "Excuse me? You _must_ be joking."

"Well, la-dee-da!" Star shot back. "I guess you know he's too damn good for you, batty!"

My eyes flashed. I had never liked this girl! All right, at first I had. She was clever enough and rather amusing, but once I'd realized how much time she spent on Angel Island with Knuckles, she'd lost all appeal. Not because I knew she and Knuckles had a thing. No, no, no. That would imply that I was jealous, which is certainly not the case. It was simply because she posed a threat to my capture of the Master Emerald. Knucklehead was much easier to tick than this pain-in-the-neck hedgecat.

"This uncultured moron? Too good for _me_? Ha!" I waved a hand in dismissal. "Ha!"

"Oh, 'ha,' nothing! At least he's a decent person, someone who doesn't shrug off responsibility and their friends like someone else I know!"

"Please, you shouldn't degrade yourself in such a manner." I sneered at her. "Allow me to do that for you."

She hissed and my sneer became a smirk. As good as the girl was with words, she was never able to come with insults in the heat of a good argument. But then she smirked in turn and got directly in my face. "You, my dear, are just jealous because you think Knuckles and I had sex."

Jealous? How dare she?! I never got jealous! Never in my life had I felt that way when it came to man! Especially not some hear-headed, gullible, dense, cute…responsible…sweet…Oh, what was I thinking? I shook my head, furious with myself. "Why should I care that you were willing to spread your legs for him?"

Knuckles arm dropped away from me, crossed the other against his chest as he looked away. I could've sworn, though, that he'd looked not merely insulted, but hurt.

Star took a step back, her eyes suddenly glazed with tears. "You wanna cheapen my friendship with Knuckles that way, you go ahead. But next time you do so in front of me, you'll…" Her breath hitched. "You'll regret it!" she claimed.

"Star…" Sighing, Knuckles pulled her into his arms. Stubbornly, she kept her arms at her sides, her hands curled into fists. But the tears were still in her eyes, shimmering with unshed tears. "I'm so sorry," he murmured.

"You didn't do anything," she mumbled as he rubbed her back.

"This time."

With a choked laugh, she dropped her head onto his shoulder. Her arms came up and her fingers curled, clinging to him. "Right. This time."

I fidgeted while they held on to each other, trying not to feel terrible about myself. I'd stepped over the line, I realized. Leapt over it.

Then Star stepped back and the tears were just about gone. They still clung to her lashes, but she'd held them back. "Thanks, Knuckie. Let Tails know I'll send him an e-mail when I get back to Mobius, will you?" He nodded and she smiled. "Cool. And, since I'm in the middle of a book, I'll hop on Angel Island and help Chaos guard the Master Emerald for you."

I scoffed quietly, trying to cling to my annoyance. Knuckles wouldn't let anyone on Angel Island when he wasn't around.

Then he grinned, nodded. "That'd be great, Star. Thanks a lot."

I could only stare. He was really going to let her be on the island. Alone.

She pushed stray hair out of her face and smiled. "All right. Come on, Comet, let's go." But she turned back and hugged Knuckles tightly once more before taking hold of the mutt's arm and dragging him away.

I turned away as well and started to walk aimlessly. At that moment I wanted nothing more than to be back home and be by myself for a little while. I could've stayed behind, you know. There was no real reason for me to be on Freesia, after all. What had I done? Been useless, that's what.

No, what had Shadow said the other day? "Kept Knuckles happy." During one of his and Sonic's conversations with the king, that's the phrase the creep – Shift, not Shadow – had used to describe me.

I sighed. Messed that up, didn't you Rouge?

An easily recognizable hand snagged my arm and twirled me. "Just so you know," Knuckles muttered, "I'm going to yell at you for that later."

"And I'm so looking forward to it," I lied smoothly, putting my cocky attitude back in place. I wasn't going to let my own guilt cause me to lose focus. To my consternation, Knuckles dragged me towards the dance floor. "Just what do you think you're doing?" I demanded.

"Getting out of the cameras' and Shift's view so I can talk to you," he snapped, coming to a halt just two feet from where couples twirled and swirled about. I tried to pull from his grip, but he held fast. I was tempted to slap him with my free hand, but I refused to lower myself to such a level.

"Not that it's any of your business, bat girl, but Star and I've never even kissed, let alone had sex. And if you're _not_ jealous of her, you're doing a damned good impression of someone who is."

I scowled and the frowned when he still didn't release me. In fact, he took a hold of my other wrist and yanked me against him. My eyes flashed. "So much for yelling at me later," I hissed.

"Rouge, I haven't even started to yell," he informed me and then crushed his mouth to mine.

It was brutal. Full of anger, frustration, and barely restrained violence. As it deepened I felt pain as if he'd struck me. As his teeth grazed over my lip, I realized that this was a type of punishment I'd never been faced with before. I didn't know how to counter the assault, so could only take it.

I didn't want to fight it, anyway. I had hurt him as well as Star. I'd made a fool out of myself in the process, but if he wanted to batter me emotionally I still deserved it.

When the "kiss" finally ended, my cheeks were damp with tears I hadn't been aware of shedding. Oh, why the devil was I crying? I'd deserved it!

"As mad as I am at you, Rouge, I didn't mean to make you cry." His hands had gentled and his voice was quiet. "I'm sorry."

"No, you idiot, that's not it." I swiped desperately at the tears as my heart landed at his feet. "You _are_ too good for me."

_Love sucks,_ I thought, and spun on my heel. I raced to the powder room, unable to stop the tears.

_Love really, really sucks!_

* * *

Wow. Rouge is pretty upset, huh? Well, she was pretty damn rude!

And poor Knuckles has no idea what just happened

lol

Review now! In the name of cereal!

The next chapter's POVs will be Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Rouge.


	19. Upcoming Trouble

Huzzay for updates!

I'll have the pickles.

The POVs are Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Rouge.

* * *

_Chapter 18_

_Upcoming Trouble_

_(Sonic's POV)_

"I wonder what that was all about," I murmured, twirling Amy.

She shook her head, bringing her hand back to my hip. "Rouge thinks Star and Knuckles are _together_, so she's jealous. Star realized that Rouge was jealous and said something about it. Rouge just got defensive and really hurt Star's feelings and, I think, hurt Knuckles's some, too.

"Star got away and then Rouge tried to walk away, but Knuckles caught up to her. That kiss was really mean, but it made Rouge cry because she realized that she's in love with Knuckles. She doesn't want to love him, though, so she's going to hide in the restroom for a little while."

I blinked. How…what…huh? How did she _know_ all of that? We couldn't even hear them or anything!

Amy giggled. "It's all in the body language, Sonic."

"Right. So what am I feeling?" I twirled her again, silently thanking Tails for the shoes. This would've been an absolute disaster without them. I brought Amy back, held her close. Our eyes met and my mouth went dry. An absolute disaster…

"That would be too easy," she whispered.

When I found myself staring at her curved lips, leaning forward to kiss her, I couldn't suppress the shudder. I'd never noticed how irresistible Amy was until we'd come to Freesia. Was I seeing it now because she was a princess? Or was it just because I was spending time with her?

Could all of this been avoided if I'd just paid some more attention to her?

"Sonic, it's all right."

"What?"

"Don't feel guilty. This has worked out to be a lot better for Alley. You're paying attention now, so it's all right."

"Amy…" Man, I really wanted to kiss her. She understood me better then anyone ever had. Except, maybe, Tails. But Tails wasn't female so that ruled him way out for the whole kissing thing.

Abruptly, my feet stopped moving and I nearly toppled over. "The song's over," Amy murmured. "Take a step back, bow, and then go dance with Alley. The song after the ten minute one is always really short."

I did the whole bowing thing – man, that was annoying. And Amy curtsied as if she'd really spent her whole life doing so. It would great to get home… I hated all these procedures we had to follow.

I passed Shadow on my way to Alley. "King's not busy anymore; he'll be watching. Make the request formal."

I nodded. Just one more thing I had to worry about, right? Oh, well. At least I didn't have to worry about dancing, thank God.

A moment later I bowed before Alley. "Your Highness, may I have this dance?"

She dipped into a curtsy. "Of course, sir."

I could feel a hot gaze burning a hole in my back and swallowed. Man, the king was _pissed_. I'm guessing it was 'cause he'd been too preoccupied to see Amy and I dance. Seeing us interact would've been useful to him or something.

I put a hand at Alley's waist as the music started. Deftly, my other hand slid into my pocket to turn the shoes on. "Can Shift lip-read?" I asked, grateful my back was to him.

"No, but he has excellent eyesight just the same. I shouldn't say much."

"Good. Okay." I turned her, wondering just how short the song was going to be. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tails project a small image from his watch onto a wall, masking the move as an embrace with Cream.

While I watched, he whispered something to Cream and she looked real worried from where I was standing. Tails sent a sharp look my way and I nodded slightly. Looked like the king was about to start whatever he'd planned.

"Alley–"

"Oh, dear," she whispered.

"What?" Her gaze was on something over my shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"A courtier just spoke to my father. He looks very pleased."

I had no clue what a courtier-thing was, but I knew it was bad news when Shift was pleased. "Dang…How long is this song? Tails is worried, the king's happy. That only means trouble."

"Perhaps another minute," she guessed.

_(Tails's POV)_

I frowned deeply. Studying the king's expression. It had changed from white-knuckled fury to rainbow smiles in a finger snap. That, combined with the image I'd projected, meant danger. Sonic and Shadow were both stuck on the dance floor until the song ended and Knuckles – I glanced around. Where the heck had Knuckles even gone? And Rouge, for that matter. That left me with one option.

I caught Star's eye and motioned her over. She made her way towards me, dragging a gold dog behind her. "What is it, Tails?"

"I need your help," I said, giving the dog a meaningful glance.

She shook her head. "Knuckles told me to keep Comet close. I already let him know some of the situation, or what I gleaned from Knuckles and Rouge. So?"

Well…Fine. "Do you know where they went?"

"I…Well…"

Comet frowned. "I know which way they went."

I didn't know this mutt, and I really didn't know Star very well. But I had to trust them. "Okay. I need you to tell them both that Quarry and a group of guards are coming this way. From the western sector of the house."

"If I say that, Knuckles'll know what I'm talking about?"

"It's Knuckles," I pointed out and had her grinning. "But Rouge'll definitely know. I can guarantee that."

Her grin had faded when I'd mentioned Rouge. How odd was that? "Okay." She tugged a notepad out of her belt and a pencil from behind her ear to scrawl something down. Then she tore the page away and handed it to me. I tucked the piece of paper into my pocket as she sauntered away, Comet in tow. I would look at it later, when I had less on my mind.

"Tails, do you think everything will be all right?"

I smiled and tucked an arm around Cream's waist. "Things have always worked out for us in the past. And with everyone working as hard as they are, we'll be just fine." But I wasn't overly certain about that. There were a lot of people against us here, and that was something we'd never encountered before. It was new, shaky territory.

_(Knuckles's POV)_

I glanced up to see Star striding towards me, dragging Comet by the arm. I straightened from the wall I'd been leaning against. Something was going on. "What's going on?"

"Tails said some big group led by some guy named Quarry is coming this way from the western sector of the house. Whatever the hell that means," she added.

"Dang…" I shuffled my feet, frustrated. "Listen, Star, I really need you to get Rouge out of the stupid bathroom."

Scowling, she crossed her arms. "I'd rather not."

"Oh, c'mon! I'm not completely sure which way they're coming from, and I shouldn't leave without Rouge anyway."

"You made her cry, didn't you?"

"I…no." How did she _know_ that?

"Pfft. You can't lie to me, Knucklehead. But fine, I'll go get her." Head angled stubbornly, she strode towards the bathroom and went inside. I blew out a breath.

"You _are_ just friends with her, right? With Star?"

I glanced at the mutt. "I'm gettin' real tired of answerin' that. Yeah, we're just friends. Only been friends, all right?"

He looked away. "I had to make sure I wasn't poaching on somebody else's territory, okay?"

"You should've just asked her," I muttered, scowling. Talking about dating and stuff in this situation was weird, and I didn't like weird. I wanted to go home!

_(Rouge's POV)_

I was rinsing out the cloth I'd used to remove my water-run make-up as the door swung open. Star strode in, and I gritted my teeth. She was the _last_ person I wanted to see.

"You and I got along just fine," she began, "until you found out that Knuckles and I were friends. Instead of instantly hating me, you should've asked me to help set you two up."

I sighed, tossing the cloth into the trash. Why had I even bothered to rinse it out? I wouldn't have put it back in my purse anyway. That damn echidna had messed with my brain. "What could you have possibly done?" I demanded of Star.

"We won't ever know that now, will we? But, seriously, he needs somebody. The thing is, you're the one he wants and he can't figure out why." She hopped up to sit on the sink counter. "Bless his heart, but he's an idiot."

The laugh escaped before I could stop it. "Yes. Yes, he is. At the same time, he's smart, though, but never shows it." I tugged my mini-make-up kit out of my purse.

She grinned. "That's 'cause he doesn't know how to be smart without embarrassing himself. So, on to the bad news. Some guy named Quarry has a bunch of other guys coming this way from the western sector. I have no idea what that means, but you and Knuckles have to go together."

Quickly and competently, redid my face and snapped the compact shut. "All right." I dropped everything back into my purse.

"Hey, Rouge, you want to try being friends again?"

I slid her a sidelong glance. "We may as well."

She laughed. "Man, this is gonna confuse the spit outta Knuckles."

"Yes, it will." I smirked. "Should be interesting. One more thing," I requested as she made her way back to the floor.

"Yeah?"

"When you said he was too good for me–"

"I was mad."

"Yes, but you were right. After what I said, he apologized to _me_. The idiot!"

"Only 'cause he made you cry," he explained. "If whatever he did–"

"He kissed me," I admitted. "In a way."

She spun towards me and grabbed my hands. "You love him!"

"I…no." How did she _know_ that?

"You know, I never thought it'd be just as easy to see through your lies as it was Knuckles's lies. Okay, nevermind. Just stop that Quarry person and–"

There was scream outside the door, followed by gasps and more screams. And then the room went black. "Son of a bitch!" Star shouted as the screams became more prominent.

* * *

Uh-oh...

Review now! In the name of Christ Chex! And if you don't know what those are, you are not a true Dane Cook fan.

The next chapter's POVs will be Rouge, Knuckles, Sonic, Alley, and Amy


	20. Attempted Attack

Woo...

I continue now!

* * *

_Chapter 19_

_Attempted Attack_

_(Rouge's POV)_

I closed my eyes and allowed my sonar to kick in. "Star, can you see at all?"

"I'm half-cat," she reminded me. "Duh. So I'm going to go find Comet and stick with him. I leave in the morning, so if I don't see you on Freesia, I'll see you back home. Good luck with Knuckles."

"Fine. And thank you." She sent me half a salute and darted off, and I made my way directly to Knuckles, placed a hand on his arm. "This is Rouge. What happened?"

"Some woman screamed and the lights went out."

I sighed. Big help that was. "Anyone come in?"

"Not that I noticed."

I scanned the room myself and nodded. There was no sign of Quarry or anyone new. "Whoever the woman was, it's possible that she's part of this."

"More than likely. So this is just a distraction if Quarry and his crew aren't in here. We need to go, head them off."

"All right. Let's go." Keeping my hand on his arm, I let him out the door. "Odd that the immediate hallway is just as dark, but not far off the lights start back up again."

"They'd need to see," he pointed out, "until the last minute."

"Yes." I released his arm. "And, according to what Star told me, they're coming from the Western sector."

Now he took a hold of my hand. "Rouge, we need to talk."

"Later. We've got something to do right now."

"Fine." His grip slid from my hand to around my waist as a slick guise for the cameras. "Are they in the direction of the stairs or are we gonna have to pretend we're lost?"

"It depends how close Quarry is," I replied, trailing a finger over his arm. Our voices were too low for the cameras to pick up, but our actions had to on point. Two lovers escaping from a party at what seemed like the perfect moment.

As we neared the stairs, I began to look around. It was odd not to have seen Quarry and his procession yet. I was sure they would've been closer by then. We couldn't go past the stairs without seeming suspicious, so… I swung Knuckles against the banister post of the stairs and arched against him as if I couldn't wait to get upstairs.

His teeth grazed my shoulder and I gasped with surprise. He wasn't supposed to actually… "Oh." My eyes started to slide closed as his tongue replaced his teeth.

I heard a loud crash that had my eyes snapping wide. "What in the world?"

He sighed. "Let's go." It surprised me, his acting ability. As he dragged me towards the sound of the crash, he reminded me very much of an interrupted lover. And maybe that's what he was. I brought a hand to my shoulder, letting out a long breath.

Then I shook my head and skimmed that hand up his arm. "Come on, Knuckie; it's none of our business."

"Go away if you want," he snapped.

I pouted. "But–Oh. Well." They'd known, was all I could think. At the sight of twenty guns of varying designs cocked and pointed our way, I knew they'd known we were on our way. But that thought came and went quickly as common sense kicked in. We hadn't been quiet on our way over, something that would seem like a mistake and would've been avoided normally.

I also never would've pressed against Knuckles, clinging to his arm like a helpless female. I can take of myself, thank you.

"You should've listened to the broad, echidna. This is none f your business."

Broad? Idiot bastard...

Knuckles angled his head. "You're not plannin' on busting up the party, are you?"

"Of course not. The king would be most…displeased." Quarry smiled and gestured to those behind him. "Lower your weapons, gentlemen. They won't interfere."

_(Knuckles's POV)_

The hell we wouldn't interfere! This guy didn't know me, and he looked real ridiculous with a bandage over his broken nose. I smirked. "Maybe we won't. Tell me what you're doing."

His eyes narrowed and he removed a pistol from the lapel of his jacket. "I suggest the two of you move along to your room."

"Not a chance." I felt Rouge's hand brush my thigh and nearly lost my cool. Damn, it was distracting to have her so close…

Quarry frowned. "Then I have no choice. Gentlemen?" As one body they attacked, and Rouge and I went to work.

Within minutes, Rouge and I were the only ones standing and Quarry had disappeared. "Son of a…"

_(Sonic's POV)_

I kept my hand on Alley's arm, furious and trying to think of what to do next. With such a sudden loss of light, I couldn't see a thing.

"Oh, my," Alley whispered. "This is very bad."

"You think?" I looked around uselessly. "Dang it! What could be going on?"

Suddenly, I could see a small beam of light heading towards us. Tensing, I shifted to stand in front of Alley. Then I heard Shadow's voice. "Sonic," he hissed, "where's Allison?"

"Right behind me. Amy?"

"I'm right here," I heard her say. Relief flowed through me like water.

"So what's with the light?"

"It's a pen light," he explained. "I wasn't certain if I would need it, but I brought it along just in case."

"We need to find Tails," Amy whispered. "He should know what happened."

"Yeah." I took Alley's hand and guided it. "Shadow, that your arm?"

"Yes."

"Good. Alley, hang on to him." I managed to find Amy's hand and dragged her against me to indulge in the kiss I'd wanted since walking into the stupid ballroom.

And I guess my intentions were pretty obvious… "For God's sake, you idiot, let's go," Shadow demanded.

"Okay, okay." I settled for a light kiss and felt Amy's lips curve under mine.

_(Alley's POV)_

Despite my inability to see, it was clear that my sister and her fiancé had just kissed. With a quiet sigh, I slid my hand down Shadow's arm to link our fingers. It had been a week since the new moon and a week since he'd kissed me last. I was sorely tempted to take the initiative upon myself and kiss him myself, but the timing was terrible.

Using his tiny pen light – and wouldn't my father be angry to see that one beam of light through all the dark? – Shadow led us towards Tails.

"Hey, pal. What's going on?" Sonic asked. "Knuckles and Rouge make it out?"

"Star told me they did," the fox replied. As my eyes began adjusting to the dark, I could just make out his silhouette and Cream's behind it. "If it weren't so dark in here, I'd risk using my laptop to get the lights back on."

I smiled softly. Having spent many hours locked in the dark, I could understand his anxiety. "No doubt they'll be on soon," I assured him.

"This ain't your regular power outage," a voice muttered.

"Knuckles! Jesus! You _had_ to sneak up on us like that?"

"What was I supposed to do?" he demanded of Sonic. "Stomp?"

"Enough," Rouge ordered. "And listen to me. We took out every one of Quarry's followers, but the rat managed to get away."

"Did you find out what they were intending to do?" Shadow queried.

"Mmm…Well, the one person we hadn't knocked out yet was, ah, _persuaded_ to tell us that the plan was to create mass confusion in here with the blackout. The screams just beforehand were planned, but we couldn't get the name of the women. They were gong to capture Amy and Alley, thereby proving Sonic's incompetence."

"They'll have a hard time doing that," the hedgehog boasted.

Without warning, Shadow tensed and wrapped an arm firmly about my waist. "Silence. Someone's coming."

"But we're in a room full of people," Cream pointed out.

"No," Rouge whispered. "I feel it, too. It's…ah…Quarry and two new recruits. Be on guard," she warned. "Sonic, _you'll_ have to get rid of them."

He sighed. "Yeah. Just let me know when they're close."

_(Amy's POV)_

Sonic leaned close to my ear. "Sorry if the freaks you out, love."

_Love_, I silently repeated and squeezed his hand. "It's all right, Sonic."

Then Rouge hissed and Sonic straightened. "Quarry, you don't honestly believe capturing the princesses will do you any good, do you?" It took all I had to suppress the shudder. This wasn't my Sonic.

When there was nothing but silence, the stranger holding my hand laughed menacingly. "Come now, Quarry. You can't fool me. You should have learned your lesson by now." He laughed again. "How's your nose?"

That seemed to be it for his control. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Quarry's silhouette launch itself at us. I hardly had time to gasp before I was shoved towards Shadow, and Sonic's foot was pinning Quarry to the ground. "Ridiculous," Sonic spat, and that time I couldn't hold back the tremors.

"Oh, Sonic…"

Shadow shushed me. "He may seem frightening like this, but stay quiet."

"Now then," this Sonic-imposter was saying, "you and your two men – yes, I see them – are going to leave this room immediately. The lights are going to be turned on very quickly. Though…I must thank you. Such a diversion could prove to be very useful."

I could just make out Sonic hauling Quarry to his feet and shoving him away. Then he came back to us, and I could feel his shudder. "Ugh, I hate that."

"Not much longer, Sonic." I clutched Sonic's hands in mine and found them cold. "It won't be much longer before we're home."

He sighed deeply and my throat ached. He was doing so much for me and Alley. "I'm counting on it, Amy," he murmured and drew me close, fitting his mouth to mine.

There was frustration here and need. To soothe the first I brought my hands up caress his cheeks. To match the second, I opened to him and allowed his tongue entrance.

Much sooner than I would have liked, the kiss ended. Though we had good timing as the lights flicked on seconds afterward. Had they come back on while we'd kissed, it would've put us in a lot of trouble.

I was breathing heavily as Shadow and Sonic led Alley and I towards the thrones. Luckily, that breathing could be explained away by fear.

Shadow bowed, pressed a kiss to the back of Alley's hand. "Your Highness."

She nodded, eyes guarded and dispassionate. "My gratitude to you, Shadow."

Sonic preformed nearly the same ritual for me and I answered in kind. But while Shadow had hung back, just waiting for Sonic, Sonic turned towards the king, eyes dark. "Your Majesty, I've gotten the idea that you don't trust me."

"Whatever do you mean?"

He smiled grandly. "Your Majesty, we both know the answer to that. I hate to say that you've given me no choice but to distrust you in turn."

"We will discuss this later," my father snarled.

"Incompetence, Your Majesty, is not something to hold close. My advice is for you to release Sir Quarry and embrace competence fully."

To my complete and utter amazement, my father's snarl became a warm smile. "Perhaps, my boy, you will make a fine son-in-law. Allison, I shall have to thank you for bringing him to us." He waved a hand in dismissal. "You may go, Sonic."

"Of course." But Sonic returned to me and took my hand. "Princess, this has been a most…fascinating night." His voice may have been silky, bordering on threatening, but his eyes were lit with humor. I could see the headache in them, though, and knew he was only trying to reassure me.

"Yes, I suppose it has been," I replied, giving his hand a squeeze to show I understood. I knew/know him so well.

* * *

And that little bit is the end of Star

lol

It's all right to cry, I know, it's a sad, sad occassion...

Review to make us all feel better!

The next chapter will feature the POVs of Alley, Shadow, and Tails


	21. After the Ball

Yay! What's gonna happen next?

* * *

_Chapter 20_

_After the Ball_

_(Alley's POV)_

I stared at the small box a servant had just brought to mine and Amy's room, swallowing nervously.

"What could it be?" Amy inquired, peering over my shoulder. She seemed to be in higher spirits then she'd been in quite a while.

"I've no idea," I murmured. "There's a card."

She snatched it, opening it quickly. As she read, her smile spread. "Oh, gosh, we've fooled him good, Alley!"

I took the card from her and found that it was from my father. He'd promised to thank me for bringing Sonic around and here was his gift of gratitude. Yet I still had my doubts. Were it something even partially threatening, everyone would have to run away immediately.

Carefully, I slid open the box and gasped. Diamonds and rubies glinted ostentatiously, layered generously on the necklace before me. I lifted it from the box, amazed by the sheer extravagance of it. The only other time I'd ever received something like this had been when I had laughed at a poor beggar while riding about the city with my father. He'd been so pleased I'd been given a brooch heavily decorated with a rainbow assortment of jewels.

Later, however, I'd gone back and had given the man a pair of diamond earrings. My father had never noticed the loss and the man had wept with joy.

"We have fooled him," I realized. "Your friends are true miracle workers."

"Didn't I tell you?" She threw her arms around me, laughing. "Didn't I tell you everything would be all right?"

"Yes…Yes, you did."

_Soon…_

Tails passed some sort of laser across the necklace, the box, and the card in search of any listening devices. One couldn't be careful, of course.

"Well?" Sonic demanded.

"There's nothing." The fox grinned. "Absolutely nothing. We've got him right in the palm of our hands."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Shadow stare at his hand. Then, with the smallest of smiles gracing his features, he curled that hand into a fist. I smiled at him, understanding and appreciating the gesture.

And then he leaned against a wall with a deep sigh. "Three weeks until we return to Mobius, then."

"Back to civilization," Rouge added, lounging in a chair.

My smile faded a bit. In three weeks' time, Shadow would be out of my life forever.

"Alley?" Amy placed a hand over mine. "What is it?"

"I…I suppose I'll miss you. I've grown rather fond of you lot." Which was the truth, of course. Just not the whole truth.

_(Shadow's POV)_

I looked down with another sigh. Three weeks was all I had left with Allison. Well, that was fine. I didn't need anymore time. In fact, the sooner we left the better.

"We could come an visit," Cream interjected, breaking into my thoughts. "With you as queen, this planet would be much better for that."

My head snapped up. No. No, no, no. I couldn't return once we left! Seeing Allison…

Scowling, I looked away once again. What the devil was I worried over, anyway? There was no reason at all for such fears. After returning to Mobius, I would have the distance required to study these experiences from an objective angle. Surely once I was away from Allison these foolish emotions would evaporate.

I heard her laugh a something Cream said and felt my heart constrict painfully. Certainly I only needed distance. Certainly…

_(Tails's POV)_

I blushed, staring hard at my feet. Had Cream really had to just announce that our fake relationship wasn't so fake? Desperate for something to take my mind off of my embarrassment, I searched for the note Star had given me earlier.

_Seriously. Something's going on up there and I reserve the rights to it when you guys get back home. And, speaking of home, I should get back to Mobius tonight. I can check up on Eggman, see if he's up to something using my amazing power of…knowing people. I'm sure I can get someone to blow up his base if he's already rebuilt it, slow him down some more. Anyway, send me an e-mail so I know how to reach you. Knuckles knows the address. I'll keep y'all updated on the Eggman front and you give me deets about the Freesia situation. Lots of love!_

"What's that?" Sonic asked, looking over my shoulder.

"A message from Star. Knuckles, you have her e-mail?"

He rattled it off while I pulled up e-mail on my laptop and Sonic smirked. "Already thinking of other girls?" he asked me.

Tongue in cheek. "Are you?"

"Ah…" Satisfied that all attention was currently on Sonic, I suppressed a laugh and fired off a quick message to Star.

_Got your message. I'll keep you updated as well as I can. OFF THE RECORD. Anything about Eggman would be appreciated. Be careful. –Tails_

I hit "send" just as something to the far side of the screen caught my attention. I slid the headphones on and watched Shift ordering a guard. "Go fetch Sonic the Hedgehog, will you? As well as Sir Quarry the Rat. The three of us have things to discuss."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The guard bowed and left the room.

The king tapped his fingers together, smiling softly. "This should be quite amusing," he murmured.

I yanked off the headphones. "Shift's sending a guard up here to get Sonic. He wants to talk to you and Quarry."

"What?" Sonic whined.

"Why?" Shadow demanded.

"I don't know, but he expects it to 'quite amusing.'"

"Damn…" Sonic sighed, shoving his hands into the pockets of the pants he still wore. "I thought I was done with that for tonight."

Shadow frowned. "This could be very bad. If you slip up even once–"

"I won't," Sonic interrupted, his eyes on Amy's. "I know what's at stake. So how close is the guard, Tails?"

"On the stairs already."

"Okay. Get me up there. I'll have to close the trap door and stuff. Can it be opened from down here?"

The twins both nodded. "Yes," Alley confirmed.

"I grabbed Sonic's hand and lifted him up and into his room. He was frowning deeply. "Hey, I just thought of something… What if he wants to talk about Alley?"

"Why would the king do that?"

"He…Nevermind. You'd better get back down there."

"Yeah." I shuffled my feet. "Good luck, Sonic. And, listen, if you do mess up we've always got Plan B."

"I guess." He gave me a glimmer of his usual grin. "Thanks, pal."

Saluting him, I dropped down to Amy and Alley's room.

Soon enough, I saw Sonic enter the room and smoothly shut the door in the guard's face. He was dressed just as he had been at the ball, minus the tie. "Okay, he's in." I unplugged the headphones and jacked up the volume while everyone crowded around me to watch.

"Hello again, Your Majesty." A simultaneous shiver went up through all of us at Sonic's smooth greeting. Would that ever _not_ creep us out?

"Sit," Shift invited. "Quarry will be here shortly."

Sonic's brow winged up as he settled in the obviously uncomfortable chair. "Will he?"

"Of course." Shift steepled his fingers atop his desk. "I have some information and wish the glean both of your reactions."

"Oh, hell," Shadow muttered behind me.

I have to admit that I even felt a bit nervous. Just what sort of reaction would Sonic need to have?

* * *

Uh-oh... Don't fuck it up, Sonic! ! !

And I write fast IRL, which is why that note from me is so long.

Review if you love tator tots! Or eevn if you don't. We'll play pretend.

Next chapter POV's are Sonic, Shadow, Sonic, and Alley.


	22. News

Okay, this one's got it's highs and lows...

* * *

_Chapter 21_

_News_

_(Sonic's POV)_

When Quarry entered the room, I mimicked Shadow's usual smirk, too tired to put a ton of effort into it. "Hello, Quarry. I do hope you're not too injured by our…earlier encounter."

He just glared at me and I felt a spark of satisfaction. "I'm fine," he snapped.

"To your continued health," I jeered, sipping from a decanter of brandy Shift had poured for me. It was disgusting, but I did my best to ignore the taste.

"Indeed," Shift murmured, eyeing us both. "Quarry, have a seat. Brandy?"

"Of course, Your Majesty." He sat in the chair beside mine, taking the drink.

"Sonic," the king began, resting his clasped hands on his desk, "I would like to comment on drink."

"As you wish." Whatever the heck that meant…

"My sources tell me that you had nothing alcoholic at my little soirée earlier, yet you accepted this brandy without a blink. Why is that?"

"What does that matter?" Quarry demanded. "Why are we here, sir?"

"Now Quarry," I scolded, "you mustn't be rude." When the rat just glared at me again, I forced myself to take another sip of the awful taking brandy. "Your Majesty, I accepted this drink for two reasons. The first, of course, is that it would have been rude not to. The second reason being that I don't indulge in spirits when there are games afoot."

The barest hint of surprise flickered over his face. "Games? Whatever do you mean? What sort of games?"

I smiled. "The sort that I have no intention of losing. Besides, I believe that Quarry's silly attempt at kidnapping the princesses earlier was proof enough."

"What a preposterous statement, Your Majesty. You know that I would never–"

"Silence, Quarry. It was the king who sent you."

When that was followed by a very pregnant silence, I started to wonder if I'd just screwed up big-time. But then Shift tossed his head back, roaring with laughter. "By God, you are a clever one! I can see how you've managed to get so far in such a short life."

I lifted my glass in a mock toast. "I do what I can, Your Majesty."

"Of course, of course." Still chuckling, he waved a hand. "How modest of you, sir."

Next to me, Quarry bristled. "Sir, can we _please_ get on with this?"

"Calm yourself, Quarry. If you'd completed the job as instructed neither of you would be here now."

"Your Majesty, I must admit a certain degree of curiosity." I swirled the liquid in my glass, keeping my eyes trained calmly on Shift's. "Just what is this news you wished to share with us?"

"Very well, then." He leaned back, steepled his fingers, and stared at us over them. "Once Amelia is married, Allison will be given the opportunity to leave Freesia. To keep that from happening, a press release statement has already been written and will be issued first thing in the morning."

My heart knocked hard against my rib cage. This had been what I was worried about. Quarry's eyes had begun to shine with greed and excitement. I continued to study Shift calmly.

"This statement," Shift continued, "is simply an announcement of Allison's own engagement. The wedding date, of course, being one month from tomorrow."

_(Shadow's POV)_

If a feather had brushed my, I would have toppled over. Allison…Married?! Impossible! Inconceivable! I wouldn't stand for it! I would–"

"I wish for a suggestion on who the, ah, lucky groom should be," I heard Shift say. "And, Quarry, please do not nominate yourself."

The rat, who'd opened his mouth to probably do just that, shut it. My eyes narrowed. If that bastard even came close to getting engaged to Allison, I'd kill him.

Painfully.

I watched Sonic drum his fingers on the arm of his chair. "To ensure her holding no control over this planet, I would suggest someone with a very limited amount of power. However, the people should find him at least slightly familiar." He gaze slid to Quarry. "Yet unobjectable."

The rat snarled and I resisted the urge to do the same–it would have been mortifying. While I was aware that Sonic was just acting, I still allowed myself to imagine breaking his face in. To reduce Allison into such demeaning terms…

Damn it all.

"It sounds as if you have someone in mind." I narrowed my eyes at Shift's words. Who could that blue baboon possibly… My eyes widened. No. No, that idiot!

"As well as under thumb," Sonic murmured. "However, I'll need a bit of time to make sure he understand the situation."

"Your Majesty, you mustn't fall for such drivel! He obviously has no true person in mind! I would suit–"

"No," Sonic interrupted. "You would try to kill me and that would be a tad annoying."

"A…a tad annoying?!" Quarry, enraged, leapt to his feet. "You would insult me, you blasted bother?"

"Blasted bother," Sonic repeated after a pause. "You do have quite a way with words."

I almost would've smiled, but I feared I knew just who he had in mind and had to figure out better solution.

_(Sonic's POV)_

Eyes dark with annoyance, Shift fisted his hands. "Seat yourself this instant, Quarry! You're making a damned fool of yourself!"

And I had to struggle not to laugh. The king was going for everything I said and Quarry was screwed. All right!

I ended up having to let myself chuckle and, to get rid of the laughter, I drank some more of the nasty brandy. "Your Majesty, you'll remember what I said earlier about incompetence?"

"Indeed." Calmer, Shift turned his attention back to me. "He's quite literraly proving your point."

"Yes. Yes, he is."

"Well, Sonic, I'll expect a name by the end of the day tomorrow. You're dismissed."

I rose and offered my hand as relief washed over me. I was outta there! "You'll have it, Your Majesty. I assure you." We shook and the challenge in his eyes had me smiling coldly. I'll win, you bastard, and you'll never hurt anyone ever again. "Goodnight, sir."

"Of course. I expect I'll sleep like a baby. Quarry, you are also dismissed."

The rat remained in his seat, sputtering, but I left the room. I forced myself to keep walking, to give me some time to calm myself down. I'd never felt as much hate as I had sitting in that room with Shift and Quarry. It was not cool.

As soon as I was in my room, I lifted the trap door and leapt down. "Wow."

Tails rounded on me. "You meant Shadow."

I nodded and could feel the stab of Shadow's anger from all the way across the room. I was so not in the mood for him to throw a tantrum. "Look, you don't actually have to marry Alley," I told him. "We'll be out of here by then."

I could literally see him fight back his fury. "Fine," he snapped. "It's the most intelligent course of action, I suppose."

_(Alley's POV)_

Was that really all it was to Shadow? An intelligent course of action? I frowned at hi, wishing he would look at me.

"Alley," I heard Amy say, "are you all right with that?"

"Yes, of course. It's either Shadow or someone my father picks out."

He finally looked at me, but it was more of a glare and I noticed that he was back to not looking me in the eye. Annoyed at that old attitude, my frown twisted into a straight line of disapproval.

_To the devil with you, Shadow the Hedgehog!_

"Hey, our nightly guards are coming to check on us," Tails called.

Soon enough, Amy and I were the only ones left in my room. "He's insufferable," I told her. "Completely and utterly insufferable."

Her eyes were on the trap door, and I knew she was waiting for Sonic to have the chance to reopen it. The two of them were together every night, talking and such. But she glanced towards me. "Who is?"

"Shadow, of course!"

"Oh." Her smile was slow and knowing, which only served to annoy me.

"There's no saying 'oh' if you're going to say it like that," I told her.

She just continued to smile and turned her attention back to the ceiling. I suddenly felt that odd anger I had felt when that silly rabbit Mobian girl had been unable to take her adoring gaze off of Shadow. I fisted a hand over my heart as that's where it burned most painfully, wondering what it could possibly be.

"Alley, you're not jealous, are you?"

"I beg your pardon? I certainly have no reason to feel jealous! Just because you have the opportunity to spend as much time as you like with Sonic, while I'm stuck…" Appalled at myself, I turned away from her. "No, no. I'm sorry, Amy. It's really fine with me that you're able to have him so close." I turned back and took her hands. "That was hateful and I have no idea where it came from. I'm sorry."

She smiled and squeezed my hands. "Alley, it's all right. I understand. I've seen the way you look at Shadow, after all. You love him."

"I…" There was no denying it. "Oh, it's so simple for you. Once you're married, you can return to Mobius and live your life just as you want to _with_ the man you love. I, too, will be able to live how I want to. However, I'll be without the one that I love. It seems just a bit…empty, especially since I know I'll never see him again once you all leave."

"Oh, no! We'll come back!"

I sighed. He wouldn't return with them. I knew he wouldn't. I glanced at the ceiling, hoping beyond hope that Sonic had opened it. He had and was frowning down at us. I didn't care if he'd heard our conversation. Shadow would have cared, but I didn't. I was grateful.

I stepped away from Amy, sliding my hands from hers. "He's waiting for you. Go on."

"But Alley–"

"No. No more of this tonight, all right?" I forced a smile for her benefit. "Go on, Amy. I'll be fine."

A few minutes later I was stretched out on my bed to begin dealing with what would probably be the longest sleepless night of my life.

* * *

Awww! Poor Alley.

:c

She's breaking her own heart! Stupid Shadow...

But at least Sonic didn't blow it, right?

Next chapter's POVs are Shadow, Alley, and Shadow.

Let's hope they can work a few things out, yes?

Review please!


	23. Stay

(Insert witty phrase here)

* * *

_Chapter 22_

_Stay With Me_

_(Shadow's POV)_

Two weeks left, I mused, watching Allison glide past me, guards in tow. One week before the wedding and another week following that before Allison was passed the crown. Assuming, of course, that Shift would even pass the crown down on that soon. We were counting on a speedy passage, so it was best not to dwell on more negative possibilities.

I sighed. Dealing with negatives, it seems, was/is one of my strong suits.

As she passed by, Allison cast a cold look my way. She'd been rather annoyed with me the past week, which baffled me. What the devil had I even done to the woman? We were due to be married in three weeks, so it wouldn't…

Supposedly due to be married, of course. That's what I meant. We wouldn't get married, by any means. I could never be a passable king and even the thought of myself being a decent husband was laughable.

Yet there she was, dressed all in white like Amy. They wore the same outfit as well, which made it impossible to tell her apart from Amy so long as there eyes were closed. Amy had, as was customary for Freesian royalty, grown her hair out the past three weeks on Freesia. Now I had an idea as to why, for a girl who was so…girly, she'd kept her hair cropped short on Mobius.

With another long sigh, I straightened from the wall I'd been leaning against and began to walk towards the stairs. Good God, I loved Allison. No matter what I did or what my head deemed rational, I simply couldn't stop the damn emotion. Because of her, leaving this planet had the potential to become the hardest thing I would ever have to do.

Once I'd made it to my room, I swept my cloak off of a hangar in the closet and swung it over my shoulders. I went to the window and pushed it open so that I could leap down. My feet crunched softly in the fresh snow. I would leave tracks, but it didn't matter to me. I needed some fresh air and time away from the palace to clear my head.

Now, I'm not and never have been a coward. As I sped away from the royal grounds and into the city, it nagged at me that my current actions could be viewed as such. I'll make it clear that I was not trying to escape from my problems or anything of the sort. I just wanted some fresh air, damn it. The palace was stuffy.

Scowling at my own thoughts, I halted.

And found myself standing at the top of the Icewall Bridge. I took a step back, looking around wildly. How the hell had I ended up here? This place where I'd…

I blew out a breath and stepped towards the railing. I placed my hands on it for some semblance of balance and shut my eyes. I'd fallen in love here. With a princess, of all things. No, a future queen. What the devil had I been thinking?!

That was, of course, the problem. Thinking hadn't been an option. It had all been emotion. As the sun had set – as it was at that moment, I noted – I'd found myself steeped in her. And once the sky had gone dazzling bright with those lighting-esque lights, I'd been done for.

The wind picked up suddenly, snapping my cloak back. I tilted my face towards the sky, letting the cold seep in. For most it would've been an irritation, this constant winter. For me, it was stimulating. The clouds that were creeping up were swelled with more snow, which secretly thrilled me.

Taking in the sensations, I was able to admit that even without Allison this planet would have drawn me in. While there's certainly something to be said about those crisp spring days and those long summer ones, the chill of winter had always been my very favorite. Perhaps it was because I preferred the night, and with winter came long nights and short days.

Or, if I can be a bit whimsical, perhaps it was because I could see each breath I exhaled. Each stream of visible air proved that I was alive and could do what I damn well pleased. To hell with anyone and everyone who believed I should be dead.

…So it was less than whimsical. Be quiet, will you? Unless you don't want me to continue…Just as I thought.

Anyway, I really liked this planet. There was no doubt that Allison would make a wonderful queen. She had such pride in the fact that her family had ruled this planet well for the past three centuries, so there was no doubt that one day she would find someone who could be just as good a king.

What would I do then? When she married him? Had his children?

At the thought of another man touching Allison, I felt a piece of the bridge's railing snap under my hands. I looked around, scowling to hide my humiliation. No one was around, luckily, so I was able to drop the railing onto the ground and carefully push snow over it with my foot.

"Jealous fool…" I muttered.

There was nothing I would do when Allison married someone. She would be on Freesia and I would be on Mobius where I belonged. Alone, as I was meant to be.

And why did that thought only serve to depress me?

"Come on, Ratchet!" I suddenly heard.

"Hit it!"

"He doesn't know how!"

"Shut up!"

I glanced down to see a group of young boys playing hockey on the frozen pond. One kept slipping, obviously new to the skates he wore.

There were others on the pond, as well. A couple was gliding gracefully with their two young children between them. Their hands were linked and, as I watched, the mother tossed her head back to laugh at something the young girl had just said.

But then the smile that had just begun to creep onto my face evaporated as I saw a young girl being dragged away by a familiar looking snake. The girls she'd been with all looked upset and were hurling snowballs at him. They weren't allowed to actually stop him from taking the girl, however, which was repulsive.

There _was_ a way for me to stop it. So I bolted from the bridge and skidded to a stop in front of him. Having gained access to Tails's computer several times the past week I knew all the in's and out's of this particular law.

"Get outta my way," he snapped.

"What's the girl's name?" He sputtered and I smirked. If you didn't know a female's name, you couldn't touch her. It was a…creative loophole and I'd found it purely by chance. "You don't know, obviously, so release her."

Grumbling, he did as I ordered and stalked away. The girl looked just a bit wary. "Why did you do that?"

"You didn't want to go with him," I stated and turned away.

Without warning, I was tackled and landed face-first in the snow. "Oh, thank you so very much!" the girl squealed. "It's so hard to find a man who despises that law as much as us women!"

I turned my head, spit out snow, and very nearly growled. Back on Mobius, no one would have dared to pounce on me. But here was this silly girl, latched onto my back, squealing and laughing in delight.

I started to order her off of me when her friends ran up. Excited female chatter filled my ears and had me mashing my face against the ground again. No good deed goes unpunished, I thought sourly.

And then a new voice had me tensing. It was the same Mobian rabbit from before, the one who hadn't stopped staring longingly at me.

"Oh my gosh! Like, do you guys even know who you're sitting on?! That's Shadow the Hedgehog!"

There was a scramble as the girls shot up and away from me. I sat up and looked around at the wide eyes of them all. About six girls, including the Mobian.

The original girl began to jump up and down, squealing at an ear piercing level. "Holy cow! It is! I was saved by a for real hero guy!"

I sighed. Why did I always end up surrounded by fools?

I rose to my feet, brushing snow away. "You're welcome," I muttered and was tackled again. This time I managed to stay on my feet.

"I really, really appreciate it," she said, walking her fingers up my chest. Her eyes were filled with invitation, and I tried to force myself to consider responding to it. She was an attractive enough cat, enough so that I normally would've hinted at a response to her obvious advances.

But…

I couldn't erase Allison from my mind and stepped back. And then I ran and kept running to wherever.

When I finally stopped, the sun was gone and I was standing on the edges of the royal grounds. The palace was visible. It was quite a sight when one forgot to think of what went on beyond those walls. The lines of the structure were soft to look at, but they were strong and sturdy. The roof sloped, the four columns in front arched. The windows were all octagonal and nearly all had a light burning behind them. The doors were large and mahogany, soldiers blocking anyone's entrance.

There was history in that large house, good memories as well as bad living in that gracefully aging home. For that's truly what it was: a home. It welcomed, beckoned all curious enough to come near.

Yet it was also a prison for, at the very least, the princess who had spent her entire life there. I sighed. One day soon that perception could change. Allison would be queen, her father would live the rest of his days in a prison cell, and Freesia would be much more open to its people.

A snowflake landed on the tip of my nose, melted immediately. I looked up to see more flakes floating gently to the ground. It was best to get inside.

I was at the back of the palace within a split second and was about to scale the wall to return to my room when I saw Tails. "Hey, where've you been?"

"Out."

He rolled his eyes and hoisted me up to, not my room, but his own. "I cleared the tracks you left earlier, but this snowfall should get rid of them this time. You really shouldn't just go out on your own without letting anyone know."

I shook to rid myself of the snow that still clung to me. "We'll see."

His eyes rolled again. It was an action that I would have tolerated from few others. "Humph." I turned and went to the door to leave. If he was just going to scold me, I had no interest in remaining.

"Oh, Alley was looking for you earlier. She's waiting for you in your room."

"She's…" My hand froze on the doorknob. "What?"

There was a snort of laughter that had me whirling to face the fox. "What's so bloody funny?"

"Your reaction!" I growled and he just grinned widely. "Oh, come on, Shadow, it's obvious that you love her. This fake engagement could be a real one."

"Of course it couldn't," I snapped. "She's going to be queen and I have no business becoming a king."

"Why not? I think you'd be good at it."

This was a surprise. He really thought I could…Bah. "You don't _know_ that I would be."

"But I believe it. Now stop stalling and go talk to your fiancé."

Stalling? I wasn't stalling! He'd brought up the damn conversation! "I wasn't stalling," I snapped and slammed the door on my way out.

Halfway down the hall, I saw Rouge open a door and slide out. The silk robe skimming her thighs had me lifting a brow. "What are you doing?"

Her smile was slow and sly, full of feminine secrets. "Oh…nothing."

I shook my head. "Of course not. Try not to hurt him."

Her laughter carried her down the hall, and I shook my head. Apparently, Rouge had decided to stop ignoring the attraction she felt for Knuckles. The echidna was done for.

When I finally entered my room, my hand again froze on the doorknob. She was really there and, worse, was curled up at the head of my bed. Remembering the cameras behind me, I stepped inside and closed the door. "Allison."

A smile curved her lips as she peered up from the book she'd been reading. "Hello, Shadow. Did you enjoy your run?"

I folded my arms, scowling and peering at a spot directly over her head. "What are you doing here?" I asked, ignoring her question.

"Well…I had this entire speech planned, but it's completely flown out of my head. You aren't looking me in the eye again."

I only narrowed my eyes, keeping them stubbornly away from hers. She wasn't going to goad me into looking at her, damn it. " A speech?"

"Yes." She set the book aside and slid off of the bed, the skirt of her dress rising dangerously high. To my annoyance, it was an effort to keep my breath steady. "Now, though, I like nothing more than to kiss you."

"That wouldn't be a good idea," I managed, startled by such a blunt statement. Did she have to be so…so…

She was walking towards me. "On the contrary, I believe it's a fabulous idea."

It wasn't until my back struck the door that I realized I'd been backing away from her. I stiffened. I never retreated, so why…

Our bodies brushed, sending a flash of heat coursing through me. "Stop it, Allison."

_(Alley's POV)_

Delighted by the nerves in his eyes, I slid my fingers into the tuft of fur on his chest. "You've so much more experience in matters such as this, Shadow. Why ever would you be nervous?"

"I'm not," he snapped, and I smiled. His eyes flashed with…My, was that panic? How incredible! "You shouldn't be in here. The guards check your room nightly–"

"They've already been there." I stroked my fingers through that fluff of white, marveling at how soft it was. "Part of my speech is coming back to me," I murmured, pressing a kiss to that patch of fur.

I could hear his breathing grow heavy. "Then say it so that you can out of here."

I bit my lip, wondering just what he would do if I licked that white fur. It would just be such a daring thing to do, after all. But the issue was becoming clouded. "In a minute, Shadow. I'd still like to kiss you."

"No."

"Well, why not?"

His hands wrapped around my wrists, moved my hands away. "Just no, Allison."

"You aren't very frightening."

The insult flashed in his eyes. "Damn it, Allison. I'm not–"

To cut him off, I bobbed up to my toes and boldly touched my tongue to his. Then I dropped to the flats of my feet again, staring at him. Our eyes had met when I had moved, allowing me to finally see the barely restrained desire in his. It was thrilling to know that he wanted me, exciting to know that I wanted him.

Slowly, I slid my arms up and around his neck, bringing his mouth down to mine.

Immediately, I could feel the change this held from our previous two kisses. The first had been hot and heady and desperately wanton. The second had been mind-numbing and seductive and life-altering. But this…

This was life-threatening. If his lips ever left mine, if the hands he'd brought to my waist ever stopped their careful strokes, I would die. Surely such an instant loss of warmth would kill me. Yet I would die happy.

As the angle of the kiss changed, deepening this deadly mating of lips, I could feel each individual brain cell fizzle into nothingness. But what did I need them for, anyway? I had everything I needed right here.

My body arched against his, drawing him closer. There was no one in any world who could bring me this. While I'll admit never having had anyone to tempt me into a kiss before him, I wasn't a fool. I knew my heart was at his feet, if only he would see it.

Why hadn't he seen it? Each time I'd looked at him that week, I'd been desperate for him to look into my eyes and see my heart in them, beating only for him. But he hadn't looked and he hadn't seen.

He would see tonight, though. As his taste filled me, made me greedy for more, I swore that he would see just what he meant to me tonight.

_(Shadow's POV)_

I'd sworn not to do this again. I had _sworn_ to avoid kissing her, yet here I was, doing just that.

It had to stop. Her teeth grazed my lip. It had to stop immediately. My hand swept to her back and curled into the material of her dress. Stop now. I wanted to rip the fabric from her, pin her against the door and make her mine.

No. The image was painfully real, even in my imagination. No. I tore my mouth from hers to catch my breath and possibly begin thinking straight. There could be no more of this, damn it.

But she released a murmured protest and brought her lips to mine once more.

_Allison, I love you._

On a gasp, her eyes flew open and I realized that I'd spoken those fateful words aloud. No. Damn it all, no! I wasn't supposed to have told her that! Quickly, I disentangled myself from her and stalked several paces away. I had to take the words back. They would complicate…everything.

I turned back and saw there were tears in her eyes. "Damn it…Allison–"

"No. No, please, don't say anything if you're going to take that back. I've wanted you to love me."

I stared, unable to speak. It seemed as if my throat had closed, paralyzing my vocal cords. I couldn't even breathe.

"I love you, Shadow. So much so that it's almost a physical pain." She rested a fist over her heart. "When you're friends return to Mobius I dearly want you to stay."

I couldn't. I knew I couldn't remain on Freesia, but all of the reasons I'd carefully laid out were impossible to recall. She loved me, was all I could think.

"But you won't stay," she whispered. "Will you?"

I suddenly didn't know. I'd been so certain of the choice before, but at that moment I was undecided.

"I love you. So I could never force you into becoming a king of a foreign planet. I'll have to let you go." She flung open the door and sped down the hall.

I could only remain where I was, staring at the door she'd slammed. "What am I going to do?" I murmured, completely and utterly unsure of myself.

* * *

Wow.

Just...wow.

This is actually really REALLY different from what I have written in my notebook. But when I started typing it... THIS happened. Wow.

So...Who else is proud of Alley for taking some initiative?

Damn.

Review, please!

Next chapter's POVs are Knuckles, Rouge, and Sonic.


	24. Sabotage

That's right, everyone. This is an actual update. Enjoy and my utmost apologies for the wait!

* * *

**Freesia 23**

**Sabotage**

(Knuckles' POV)

I stretched out on the small balcony seat that had been constructed within the bay window of my room, brought the Master Emerald into focus. It seemed like no one had even bothered to even go onto Angel Island, as of all of Mobius was in a stand still. Weird.

I sighed, opening my eyes to gaze out of the shrinking moon. In another two weeks, it'd be the new moon, a new cycle. In two weeks, we'd be going home. Something about that just struck me as too perfect. Nothing worked out that well.

The door opened and closed quietly; I didn't bother to look and see. Her scent just wafted around the room… What did she want?

"You said we needed to talk."

Oh. "Yeah." I didn't turn to look at her, though. There was something on the ground… I opened the window, leaned out a bit. "Huh."

"What?"

"Isn't that the tailor?"

When she came over, I shifted so she could look out the window with me and tried not to notice the fact that the robe she was barely wearing was nearly see-through. Instead, I focused on the white mouse, watched her pace in front of Amy's guards, the cheetah and the bear.

"It is her. But why would she be yelling at Amy's guards?"

I pushed the window open a bit further so we could better hear. "Let's find out."

(Rouge's POV)

I leaned closer to the opening, straining my ears. Four stories was a ways off, after all.

"I'm telling you fools to do what I tell you!" she snapped, her dotty accent replaced by a very stern, very intelligent one. "Tomorrow, Amelia MUST be poisoned. I cannot let that twit become queen!"

"But ma'am, his majesty is very taken with the blue hedgehog."

Now the mouse laughed. "Sonic the Hedgehog isn't capable of doing anything more than a bit of acting. The king's grown soft over the years. Stupid even."

"Ms. Mouse, you mustn't say such things about King Shift," the second guard protested.

"Bah!" She twirled away. "Damn the king! And damn the pair of you!"

"We can't poison the princess without the king's permission."

She turned back. "Then I will get his permission. You imbeciles are dismissed."

As the guards walked off, I leaned back, mind working. "Wasn't it her daughter who Sonic found in Quarry's rooms?"

"I think so."

"We were set up." My eyes narrowed a fraction. "It doesn't seem like the king knows about it, though. We should–"

"No, we should tell the others before we go and confront her."

"But–"

He grabbed my hand, half-dragged me out of the room. "Don't argue with me right now. Let's just go."

_Soon…_

"So what do we do?"

Sonic frowned, shaking his head."Tails, do you see where she is?"

"Yeah, I've been watching her for a couple of minutes now. It looks like she's headed to Shift's private rooms."

"Down the male-only hall?" Alley inquired. "That's impossible."

"Third floor?" Sonic asked, getting to his feet."

"Yeah, but what are you doing?"

"You'll see. Just be ready to break out of here if this doesn't work."

"If what doesn't–" But he was gone before I could even finish my question. Idiot hedgehog.

"Okay, we all heard him. Rouge, will you handle my computer until I get back? I need to check the X-Tornado. I'll need to repair any damage they may have inflicted."

I lifted a brow, but took the seat the twin-tailed fox vacated. "All right."

_(Sonic's POV)_

I halted abruptly and kicked back against a wall to wait. If I could get the mouse mad enough to take me to Shift, then I could talk him into seeing things my way. The problem was that she was way more dangerous than Quarry because I didn't know anything about her and, well, she seemed smart. She'd fooled all of us, and so had her daughter. If I could just figure her out…

Aargh! Fighting Eggman was so much easier than this! I didn't need to think or talk half as much. I could just move and let my actions – and the occasional witty phrase – speak for me.

When I caught sight of the mouse, I started to grin because I was gonna get her good. But then I realized that I didn't even know her first name. Crap. Hopefully, I wouldn't need it.

I waited until she walked past me before clearing my throat. She whirled, startled at first and, I saw, annoyed. Then a full, dotty smile crossed her face. "Well, 'ello there! 'Ow are you tonight, then?"

I only stared at her for a moment. "Ms. Mouse, I would advise you to drop this silly act."

Slowly, her smile twisted into something much more commanding. And… evil. Wow. "I would certainly advise you to do the same. You cannot fool me after 'rescuing' my daughter."

I smirked. "I have dropped the act, Ms. Mouse. I was hoping you were as silly as you seemed. Having someone in the palace who thought I was a 'good guy' would have come in handy. Now that I know you're planning to poison Amelia…"

When her eyes betrayed surprise, I smiled. "Ah, yes, you hadn't known I could hear you. I have ears all over the palace already, Ms. Mouse."

"How?" she demanded.

I went with the character I was playing, grabbed her arm and squeezed. "That's _my_ business. Now I would suggest that you turn around and return to your own rooms."

She pulled away from me. "I see through this charade! You will never be king as long as I am alive!"

"I'll have to see about fixing that." My voice was quiet, cutting. A direct contrast to hers. I'd picked that up from Shadow too. Where Eggman had always been loud and boastful and, well, easy to defeat, Shadow never had been and he spoke quietly, calmly, and directly.

"Bastard!" she shouted.

"Madame Mouse!" we suddenly heard. "What is all this noise?"

I glanced down the hall, saw a white silhouette and blinked. "Ms. Flurry?"

"_Oui_, it is I. _Monsieur _Hedghog, _Madame_ Mouse, what is happening? _Il __est__très tard_. You should be asleep, not shouting. This is unacceptable; you could wake the king. We should go now. Come."

Soon enough the mouse – Liz, Flurry called her – was bundled into her room and I was being led up the stairs. "_Je __n'aime__ pas ca du tout…_ That was very dangerous. What were the two of you doing?"

"She was going to convince the king to poison Amy."

"_Non! C'est pa vrai! _Are you certain? She has always seemed… _curieux, oui._ But not… _Quel dommage! C'est pas mal!_"

I barely understood what she was saying, so only shrugged.

"_C'est barbant!_"

"Listen, um… Can you just keep an eye on her?" And speak my language?

"_Oui_. I will. Here we are, Sonic. Go to bed now. I will begin asking people about Liz right away."

She waved her hand. "_Bof! Je vous en prie! Au revoir_."

I understood the last part, so nodded. "Right. See you." When she was gone, I darted across the hall and into Tails's room. "So now what?"

"Tonight, I think we need to take turns watching. We have to make sure she doesn't try and go back or something worse." She smiled slightly. "We should probably split into pairs. It would be easiest."

"Right, yeah. So… where's Tails?"

_(Tails's POV)_

Everything seemed to be in working order, thankfully. But gauge's could easily be fooled – something I'd done to Eggman on occasion – so everything was checked manually before I was satisfied. The X-Tornado would get us back to Mobius if need be.

I wiped some oil from my cheek, ended up smearing more, before heading back to my room.

But then…

"So do you think that blue hedgehog is going to be a good ruler?" Hearing this, I pressed against a wall and hid amongst the shadows, listening.

"Keh. He better than current king, sure am I." This second voice was big and booming, thickly accented.

"Shut your face, Boris, the big boys are talking," taunted a third voice. This one sounded gruff.

"My name, it is not being Boris! I tell you this many times!"

"Will you two be quiet?" a fourth voice snapped. This one, though, was familiar. But from where? "Now listen, Lady Liz thinks that the hedgehog isn't the jerk he seems to be. She's sure that they're going to overthrow Shift."

The first person spoke again. "Are we really going to trust Liz's intuition? Talk about overthrowing royalty. Remember that she's the one who convinced Shift to kill off the queen. Colonel, do you have a light?"

"Sure," came the third voice. It was followed by the hiss of a lighter and the scent of burning tobacco. I made a face – cigarette are disgusting.

"How could I forget?" continued the fourth voice. "But we all know that Lady Liz knows how to read people. The four of us are extremely lucky that we haven't been caught. If she found out who we were…"

"You wouldn't be one of Princess Allison's guards, that's for sure."

Alley's guard? No way! Who _were_ these four?

"You also say Liz wants Amelia to poison?"

Alley's guard sighed. "She sure does, Vlad. Princess Amelia's guards were discussing it. But we're not about to let her get a princess killed. Just remember to keep your eyes on Sonic and crew. We can either enlist their help or plot our own assassinations."

"Yes!" Vlad exclaimed. "When I cook meal, it will be last they are eating."

"Calm down, Boris." Colonel snickered. "You only kill them if they're as bad as they seem."

"If Liz didn't have an official taste-tester…" the smoker muttered. "Ah well." He exhaled and I heard him putting out his cigarette. "Let's go. We've stayed too long and I would rather not get caught."

"Yeah," Colonel agreed. "Politician, guard, cook, and citizen. Interesting crew, eh?"

"Oh, that actually reminds me!" Alley's guard said quickly. "Colonel, you said you saw something the last time Princess Allison left?"

"Yeah. I'm thinking at least the black hedgehog is on our side. I saw him and the princess doing some heavy duty lip-locking on the Icewall Bridge. I'm saying now I've never seen a kiss like that. I'm damn sure he's in love with her."

"One kiss isn't much to go on," the smoker pointed out.

"You didn't see it. Besides, it was happening during the Black Lights. We all know more than love's happened during those."

"True…"

"All right," the smoker murmured. "We'll just have to keep a extra close eye on him. Now can we disperse?"

"Right," the other three agreed and there was silence.

I shot up to my room soon after. "You guys!"

Sonic looked up, got to his feet. "What is it, pal? Something wrong?"

"I don't think so. Alley, is one of the cook's named Vlad? Very thick Russian accent."

"Ah… yes. Vlad is our head chef."

"And do you know someone named Colonel? He's a citizen of this planet."

"Ah… Possibly. But why?"

"I'll explain in a minute. Just let me pull this up." I went to my computer, was glad at how quickly Rouge vacated my seat. It took me seconds to pull up the four of them and I froze the scene at the beginning. "A-ha!"

"Who are they?"

"That's one of my guards!" Alley realized, pointing at the cheetah. "That's Vlad and that…" She blinked, eyes on the rabbit who was fiddling with an unlit cigarette. "That's impossible. Why would Skye be talking to my guard, Vlad, and that bulldog?"

"I heard them talking on my way back. It sounded like they were all-for overthrowing the king and someone they called Lady Liz."

"Tails, that mouse? She's Liz."

Shadow frowned, gestured towards the screen. "Play it. Let's hear what they had to say."

* * *

And finally, after two and half years, this gets an update. Holy shit… My notebook's been missing about this long and DAMN. I just found it a little while ago, so got this typed up. _Freesia_ will now be returning to regular updates. At least a chapter a week. I have the entire thing written, after all. It just needs typed. And don't worry, I will NOT lose this notebook ever again O.o

The next chapter, the POVs will be Rouge and Knuckles. It's fairly short, so maybe I'll get it done sometime today?


	25. Surveillance

**Freesia 24**

**Surveillance**

(_Rouge's POV)_

"Go to sleep, Rouge."

I glanced up from the screen. "Hm?"

"Go to sleep. I'll take the first hour; you take the second."

We were in Knuckles' room, the computer set up on a desk. It was just Knuckles and I, as everyone had already paired off and were in their own rooms to watch in turns. Though we weren't only watching for Liz; we were also keeping an eye out for the two who worked at the palace. Alley's guard, a cheetah she'd identified as Dart, and the Russian black bear who was head chef (Vlad). After judging Liz so badly, we weren't going to risk these guys being even worse. They'd talked about poisoning us after all.

I frowned at the echidna. I knew he was still upset with me… We had yet to talk… But perhaps it was better to "separate" for a time, and leave the discussion for when we had passed the computer along to Shadow and Alley.

"All right."

_(Knuckles' POV)_

She slid out of the chair and strolled to the bed. My eyes were drawn immediately, no matter how hard I tried to keep my gaze on the computer screen. The nothing going on in the palace wasn't half as interesting as watching Rouge walk in that teeny-tiny robe. Her legs just went straight up to her ears… They were long, well-toned… I had the sudden desire to feel them wrapped around my waist while I…

My trail of thought was shattered when that teeny-tiny robe slid to the floor, revealing an even tinier negligee. It was red. It was tear as easy as paper in my hands. Those hands trembled, were fisted. I had to turn completely away to keep my eyes on the screen, but saw nothing but what my imagination conjured up as the sounds of her climbing beneath the sheets filled the room.

"Wake me up in an hour, Knucklehead."

"Sure."

Two hours later, I was creeping down the hall to Shadow's room. Tails had set it up so that every two hours, we would have a five minute period in which to transfer the computer to the next person's room. I think what happened is that there was a loop of feed that showed a blank hall, but I don't know. I don't usually pay too much attention when Tails go off explaining computer stuff.

I opened Shadow's door after a quick, quiet knock – all of the doors were unlocked during these five minutes just in case. I saw Alley first, curled up beneath the covers. And Shadow was sitting at the foot, gazing at his hands. "Anything?" he asked quietly.

"Not really. About half an hour ago, Liz's daughter slipped into Quarry's rooms. Her name's Clover, by the way."

"Is she still there?"

"Yeah." I turned the laptop to show him the feed we were able to pick up from Sonic's last visit to the rat's rooms. He'd bugged the entire area, so we had plenty of audio and visuals.

Shadow took it, nodded. "All right. Get back to your room."

"Yup." When I got back, I stayed by the door until the remaining minute was up. Then the door was quickly locked.

"You didn't wake me up." The accusation in the husky voice sent chills through me. I drew in a sharp breath, turned slowly to see the bat sitting up, the blankets pooled about her waist. Her arms were crossed and, hell, she was pouting. I'd never seen her without make-up before…

"I…"

"Why not?" she demanded, lids heavy with sleep. I couldn't keep my eyes from her face. She looked so different, so fragile…

I took a step towards her, hardly aware of it. "'Cause I didn't need to."

_(Rouge's POV)_

I disguised my yawn as a deep breath, glaring at him. "Still. We finally agree to something and you don't even go along with it."

He was at the edge of the bed now; I had to tilt my head back to look at him. When he crawled onto the bed, moving towards me, I felt my heart fly into my throat. "Knuckles?"

He got closer and closer and it was embarrassingly like a hunter stalking its prey… I had to lay back because he wouldn't stop, so when he finally stopped, he was on his hands and knees, hanging over me. His eyes hadn't left mine, seemed to be searching for something… But what?

"You look… different," he finally murmured.

"I cleaned off my make-up when I woke up."

"Yeah…" He laid his hand on my cheek, slid it down and along the curve of my shoulder. I hadn't seen him remove his glove, saw now that both were gone.

"Knuckles… What are you doing?"

He smiled, lips brushing over mine. "Taking a risk."

* * *

Yes, I realize that this chap had almost NOTHING to do with actual surveillance and, yeah, it's painfully short, but the next chapter is called "(adjective) Surveillance", so I needed this one to be called "Surveillance". And if you're wondering what the adjective is…. TOO BAD. MUAHAHAHA.

But, yeah, this chap is definitely self-indulgent XD I needed some Knouge in my life, lulz.

So next chap will be Shadow's POV, Sonic's POV, Shadow's POV, and Amy's POV. It'll be a bit longer, lol.


End file.
